Police in south China have detained three people suspected of smuggling eight elephant tusks, they said on Monday.

Customs officers caught the three putting four pairs of tusks into a car in a costal area in Beihai City on Thursday, said customs authorities in Nanning, capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The eight tusks weighed 100.8 kg, with the longest weighing 25.7 kg. They were transported to the trading site by a yacht from Vietnam.

This was the first major case concerning endangered wildlife smuggling that Nanning customs have busted since they launched a special crackdown on such crimes on May 4.

People convicted in China of smuggling endangered species or products may face penalties up to life imprisonment.

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