HAIKOU - More than 200 tonnes of smuggled frozen meat has been seized by coast guard in south China's Hainan Province.

Forty-nine suspects, six vehicles and a boat were seized at the same time, the provincial coast guard authority said on Tuesday.

Officers were informed on July 13 that a large amount of smuggled frozen meat from Vietnam would be transported to the provincial capital city of Haikou the next day by sea, via the Beibu Gulf in the southwestern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

On July 14, 200 tonnes of smuggled chicken's feet, pig's feet and tongues were confiscated at a dock in Haikou City. All 49 suspects involved in the case were apprehended by July 20, police said.

Suspects confessed that they planned to sell the meat in the Pearl River Delta Region, the coast guard said.

Smuggling affects domestic food production, contributes to tax evasion, and poses serious food safety hazards.