27 people have been arrested in Spain and France as part of a criminal investigation into illegal eel trafficking. Law enforcement seized 1.5 tons of live eels, as well as several tons of frozen eels not suitable for the food chain, and more than €2 million in assets.
The live eels were released back into the wild, and the investigation was carried out thanks to a police collaboration that identified irregularities in the European eel trade.
The high value of eels in some Asian countries, where it can reach more than $5000 per kilogram, has led to criminal organizations concealing and exporting batches of live eels to Asian customers.
