Customs officers on Thursday said they seized 3.1 tonnes of lobsters worth HK$1.24 million during an anti-smuggling operation in Tai O.

Officers said they saw some men transferring goods from two electric tricycles to speedboats on Wednesday evening.

The men jumped onto the boats and sped away when approached.

An investigator from the syndicate crimes investigation bureau, Shirley Woo, said three other tricycle drivers also abandoned their loaded vehicles and fled.

She said she believes the lobsters were destined for the mainland, saying the demand for expensive food is rising as the Lunar New Year approaches.

"It has also come to our attention that smugglers have changed their methods, and are moving their operations to more remote and narrow streets, in the hope of remaining undetected," she said.

"We also believe the smugglers used electric tricycles to move quickly on the narrow streets."