Australian customs officers have seized three 65-540 million year-old fossils illegally exported from China.

The three fossils were detected by x-ray technology in an air mail parcel at the mail center in Adelaide, capital of the state of South Australia, late last month. 

The oldest fossil contains many fragments of trilobites dating back to the Palaeozoic period about 540 to 250 million years ago, a customs spokeswoman said Monday.

The second is a marine reptile dating to the Triassic period from 248 to 206 million years ago, and the third is a teleost fish dating to Cretaceous period between 144 and 65 million years ago.

The fossils have been referred to the Environment and Heritage Department to determine their authenticity.

The seizure was made as Australia is investigating the 20 tons of fossils allegedly illegally exported from China seized in the state of Western Australia earlier last month.

Also in last month, the Australian government returned to China 32 prehistoric fossils seized by Australian customs officials for the last year. 

(Xinhua News Agency July 5, 2004)