Hangzhou Customs in east China uncovered an 880 million yuan (134 million U.S. dollars) fox-fur smuggling racket, it was announced Friday.
Seven suspects were captured in December and some 350,000 pieces of fox fur were seized. It is Hangzhou's largest ever fur smuggling case.
It is alleged that the suspects illegally imported the fox fur from Finland between 2010 and 2013, according to the customs.
Rising demand and the good price high-grade fur can fetch was behind the smuggling, said Yue Binghua, a customs anti-smuggling police officer.
