Hangzhou Customs in east China's Zhejiang Province announced on Friday that they had seized more than 35,000 smuggled luxury watches in early 2007, the largest watch smuggling case busted in the record of China's customs.

The customs said that the haul of smuggled luxury watches, which were genuine, worth 224 million yuan (around 30 million U.S. dollars) and with duty potential of 43.65 million yuan (5.9 million U.S. dollars), were made in Hong Kong and then transported to south China's Guangdong Province before being dispatched to other cities.

The luxury watches, all big brands such as Rolex, Omega, Patekphilippe, Turdor, were planned to reach four watch and clock companies in Zhejiang.

Officers with the customs said that 15 major criminals involved in the smuggling operation were detained in April, but trials have not yet been held.

(Xinhua News Agency December 15, 2007)