Xiamen Customs ferrets out 1,328 full crocodile skins smuggled from Taiwan to the Chinese mainland in June. [Photo / xmnn.cn]

The Customs authority in Xiamen, Fujian province, recently cracked the largest alligator smuggling case involving 3,062 skins.

The Customs ferreted out eight boxes of crocodile skins hidden among a batch of Taiwan frozen cuttlefish balls in June. They were of 14 species and totalled 1,328 pieces, the largest of which was 1.8 meters long and 63 centimeters wide.

The smuggled skins were imported from Taiwan by a trading company in Zhangzhou, Fujian province. They should have gone ashore in Xiamen and then been delivered to China’s largest distribution center for leather – Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

Xiamen Customs now has ascertained that the company had smuggled crocodile skins twice - on May 26 and June 6 with a total number of 3,062 pieces.

Crocodile skin is the upmarket of consumer goods because of its small quantities and luxurious quality. The smuggling of alligator skins is emerging as the high-end leather market flourishes.