Chinese customs seize smuggled bird's nests

GUANGZHOU - Customs police in southern China's Guangdong Province has detained 11 suspects who allegedly smuggled edible bird's nests.

Around 620 kg of bird's nests, which are highly prized due to their nutritional value, have been seized in an operation conducted Wednesday by customs police and public security departments in Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

According to customs of the city of Shantou, more than 2 million yuan ($281,053) involved in the case was frozen and several smuggling gangs were busted.

Customs police said buyers had purchased bird's nests in Indonesia and Malaysia in April 2017, and gangs had later smuggled the nests into China for profiteering.