MOSCOW, July 23 (RIA Novosti) - Chinese police have confiscated 270 crocodiles from Vietnamese smugglers, the Xinhua news agency said Monday, referring to border control sources.
Late Saturday night, border control guards spotted a suspicious vessel on the Beilun River, which separates China and Vietnam, as it made repeated attempts to moor on the Chinese side.
The Vietnamese vessel managed to moor Sunday night, and four people began unloading bags. On seeing the police, they jumped in the water and swam to the vessel.
The police discovered 270 crocodiles in the bags, evidently meant for sale to illegal Chinese producers of footwear and bags.
The animals are currently undergoing a veterinary examination and will soon be sent to a zoo.
