Police in southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region said on
Friday they had seized 28 crocodiles smuggled from Vietnam, only 11
days after the year's largest seizure of 270 crocodiles.
Border police saw flashlight beams during a patrol in a forest
bordering Vietnam on Thursday evening. A patrol car approached and
the officers found the flashlights were turned off and heard
hurried footsteps.
The police found 28 crocodiles in bags, but the smugglers
escaped on a boat in a nearby river and crossed the border before
police arrived.
The crocodiles, which are on the state wildlife protection list,
will be sent to zoos after several days of observation.
Guangxi police seized 270 crocodiles, also smuggled from
Vietnam, after tracking a suspicious vessel on a border river on
July 22.
Border police noticed the iron-hulled boat bearing the code
"QN0168" trying to land on the Chinese side of the river.
The Vietnam-registered boat retreated to the middle of the river
after approaching the Chinese side more than ten times, and finally
came on to the bank on the early morning.
Four people aboard carried bags on to the bank, but they jumped
into the river and swam away when they saw the police.
Border police said some underground leather factories bought
crocodile skins to make shoes and bags.
Guangxi authorities have discovered 25 illegally captured
crocodiles in the first six months of this year.
(Xinhua News Agency August 4, 2007)