Customs today said it detected the largest smuggling case on record and seized smuggled goods worth about $210 million during an operation last month.

The haul included high-value goods, expensive food ingredients and scheduled endangered species.

The department targeted an organised smuggling syndicate active in Lung Kwu Tan since June and conducted a joint enforcement operation with Marine Police on September 23 after months of in-depth investigations.

The officers spotted several suspicious men moving cartons from a lorry to a speedboat on the shores of Lung Kwu Tan. When the officers took action, the men immediately jumped onto the speedboat and fled.

Customs officers also seized a lorry at the scene suspected to be connected to the case.

After a follow-up investigation, they raided a storehouse in the vicinity and seized another three lorries, along with a large batch of luxury handbags, valuable watches, expensive food ingredients and specimens of highly endangered species.

A 34-year-old man was arrested. Investigations are ongoing.