Dozens of native lizards worth more than half a million dollars have been seized and three houses in suburban Melbourne raided in the biggest wildlife protection enforcement operation ever undertaken in Victoria.

Officers raided three properties in Narre Warren, Oakleigh and Clayton on Thursday and rescued the reptiles, which were to be sold as pets on the black market in Hong Kong and China.

An adult coastal shingleback lizard from WA seized in a raid on wildlife smugglers in Melbourne.

In all, more than 150 lizards were seized from the smugglers, including scores at two other raids in Werribee and Melbourne in the past month.

Some of the lizards had been wrapped in masking tape, aluminium foil or plasticine and stuffed inside items including Pringles boxes, Milo tins, jigsaw puzzle boxes and rice cookers.