BEIJING, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Coast guard authority in south China's Hainan Province, in collaboration with Haikou Customs, have busted a major case involving smuggling of frozen goods and captured 21 suspects, said the China Coast Guard (CCG).

File photo: Official WeChat account of China Coast Guard

The coast guards in Hainan inspected a foreign cargo ship in early August and seized over 1,500 tonnes of suspected smuggled frozen meat, according to a statement by the CCG.

Preliminary investigations found that it was a complex case involving many suspects and a large amount of funds. After 77 days of investigation, the cross-border gang smuggling frozen goods was busted, with 21 suspects arrested, said the CCG.

The statement said further investigations are still underway.