(Yicai Global) Jan. 9 -- Mainland customs authorities at the border with Hong Kong seized a smuggled shipment of 23 large Japanese koi carp and 120 koi fry, worth at least CNY230,000 (USD35,000).

Border control at Man Kam To Control Point in Shenzhen, Guangdong province discovered the precious fish hidden in a van during a routine check, state-run news outlet Legal Daily reported yesterday.

The fully-grown koi, measuring up to one meter in length, were specially packaged with transparent plastic film for oxygen supply. The incident is the first case of koi smuggling in recent years, said the director of China Inspection and Quarantine Services at Man Kam To Control Point.

The ornamental fish are priced at more than CNY10,000 each on the market, while top-grade specimens can fetch hundreds of thousands of yuan.