SHENZHEN, March 3  -- Five college students have been arrested in south China's Guangdong Province for allegedly smuggling guns from Hong Kong, police said on Tuesday.

There are seven suspects in total, including the five students. All were arrested in Shenzhen City after the police received a tipoff in May last year.

Dozens of air guns and more than 2,000 lead bullets were also seized.

It is alleged that the suspects purchased the contraband in Hong Kong to sell them to mainland buyers through the Internet.

Individual ownership of guns is outlawed in China.

Chinese police captured 212 people suspected of illegally manufacturing or trading guns and confiscated over 350 guns and 68,000 bullets in January and February, according to the Ministry of Public Security.