Six villagers from Central China's Henan Province were detained for capturing more than 1,600 wild geckoes, local media reported on Thursday.

The suspects were taken into custody on suspicion of illegal hunting, according to local police on Wednesday.

Police caught the six Fugou county residents at 1 am on Tuesday capturing wild geckos outside a residence in a nearby county without permission.

Police found more than 1,600 wild geckos at the scene. Most of the geckos were released by the police on Wednesday.

The suspects argued they were not aware that capturing geckos is illegal, but knew geckos sell for a high price.

Geckos are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for treating diseases such as esophageal cancer, hebnew.cn reported.

A live wild gecko fetches between 10 yuan ($1.63) and 15 yuan, while products containing dried geckos sell for up to 500 yuan a kilogram, according to the report.

Although wild geckos are no longer an endangered species, the law still protects them based on their economic and environmental value, local police said.

According to China's Criminal Law, those who capture 20 wild animals, including wild geckos, without approval from relevant authorities can be charged for illegal hunting.

Violators face up to three years in prison and a hefty fine.

Net users suggested that law includes geckos because of their known low reproduction rates.

Dahe Daily