A major shark fin smuggling ring was stopped by customs officers in the southern Chinese port city of Jiangmen with 50 metric tons of seafood confiscated, the news website That's Mags reported.

The confiscated goods included shark fins, fish maws, sea cucumbers and abalone worth an estimated RMB 800 million ($180m), website said, quoting the newspaper China Daily.

Thirty-five suspects were arrested in the probe and a "dodgy" plant where the shark fins were being processed was found in Jiangmen, the website said.

The seafood was reportedly purchased in Africa, South America and southeast Asia and transshipped to first to Hong Kong and then to Vietnam before entering China via Yunnan province.

The bust is thought to be the largest of its kind to date.

The news comes days after East Timorese police and activists from the group Sea Shepherd say they caught vessels from publicly traded Chinese firm Pingtan Marine Enterprise illegally fishing in the country's waters for sharks.

The UK branch of Sea Shepherd alleged that its effort with the East Timor National Police resulted in the capture of the Hong Long Fisheries fleet at anchor off the coast of Com, East Timor.

Hong Long is affiliated with Pingtan, it said.