Chinese customs have caught 33 suspects who smuggled beef from the US worth about 200 million yuan ($32.6 million), they announced Sunday.

The suspects allegedly smuggled 6,000 tons of beef, using false agreements and invoices to cheat customs clearance, according to the customs of the coastal city of Dalian in Northeast China's Liaoning Province.

A team of 260 anti-smuggling police in Dalian, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou caught the suspects in a unified crackdown in January.

The suspects' bank accounts with about 30 million yuan were frozen, according to the customs office.

Smuggling frozen beef not only harms the development of the domestic cattle industry but also threatens food safety at the dining table, the customs said.