New Zealand enforcement officers arrested 65 people in co-ordinated raids in four towns on Tuesday as they busted an abalone poaching ring after a 12-month undercover operation, dpa reported.
The Ministry of Fisheries said an undercover officer who infiltrated the gang monitored the sale of more than nine tons of abalone - known as paua in New Zealand - representing more than 36,000 individual fish.
The commercial catch of paua, which is New Zealand's fifth most valuable seafood export, is strictly controlled and private divers are allowed to take only 10 a day.
The ministry said the poached paua was sold to criminal gangs and most was illegally exported, particularly to Hong Kong and Taiwan where it can fetch up to 1,000 New Zealand dollars (about 790 US dollars) a kilogram when dried.
In a bid to stamp out poaching and illegal export, the government has trained sniffer-dogs to find paua in luggage or freight at international airports and mail centres.
A total of 72 arrested men face nearly 300 charges, which carry heavy fines and five-year prison sentences. Their boats and vehicles can also be forfeited on conviction.