Remains of black bears are seized by police after a suspect was detained for the storage and trading of wild animals in Mianyang, Sichuan province.[Liu Chenping/For China Daily]

Forest police in Mianyang, Sichuan province, have seized a suspect in connection with the storage and trading of nearly two metric tons of meat from wild and endangered animals, such as black bears, pangolins and owls.

The man could be jailed for more than 10 years, a police source said.

Forest police in Mianyang spent more than a year finding the warehouse where the meat was stored, according to Liu Wenhao, an official with the Mianyang forest police bureau.

In the summer of 2015, whistleblowers told the bureau that bear meat was being sold at a restaurant in Mianyang. After checking many restaurants that sold bear meat, police discovered their meat came from a person surnamed Liang and were able to track down the refrigerated warehouse where the meat was stored.

Police claim Liang, 58, bought the meat of wild and endangered animals from different parts of the country and kept them refrigerated before selling them for a profit.

Out of fear he would be caught red-handed, Liang never employed anyone, Liu said. He unloaded and delivered meat to restaurants himself.

On Oct 10, Liang visited a rented apartment in the residential quarter of Southwest University of Science and Technology, police said. They followed him and found the apartment served as a warehouse for dead animals.

Police said that after detaining Liang, they found nearly 2 tons of meat from dead animals such as black bears, pangolins, owls and crocodiles in both his refrigerated warehouse and rented apartment.