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)