Beijing, Aug. 4 (PTI): Police in southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous region have recovered 28 more crocodiles smuggled from Vietnam, after the year's largest seizure of 270 crocodiles last month.

Border police saw flashlight beams during a patrol in a forest bordering Vietnam Thursday. When approached, the smugglers escaped, leaving 28 crocodiles in bags, Xinhua news agency reported.

The crocodiles, which are on the State Wildlife Protection list, will be sent to zoos. Guangxi police seized 270 crocodiles, also smuggled from Vietnam, after tracking a suspicious vessel on a border river on July 22.

Four people aboard carried bags on to the bank, but they jumped into the river and swam away when they saw the police.

Some underground leather factories in China bought crocodile skins to make shoes and bags, police said.

Officials in Guangxi have discovered 25 illegally captured crocodiles in the first six months of this year.