An Algeciras criminal court has sentenced a Moroccan citizen to 1.5 years in prison, including a € 7.2 million fine to the council of Andalusia for trying to smuggle 65 kgs of eel into Morocco.
The eels, which were still alive, were packaged in plastic bags containing water and hidden in suitcases, and were in violation of the possession and marketing of a protected species, according to Spanish news outlet Europa Sur.
The defendant was arrested that day as he was about to board a boat heading for Tangier.
Spanish authorities discovered that the Moroccan citizen was transporting 65 kilos of eels during a routine baggage check at the airport, which were then seized and sent to the zoo of Castellar.
Only 2 kgs of eels survived the transfer, specifies the same source, noting that the damage caused by the removal of these eels was estimated to be at € 7.2 million by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Sustainable Development.
The defendant failed to make an appearance at a court hearing, despite being informed of the day and time of the trial.
The Spanish Civil Guards who arrested him explained that the defendant was reluctant to show his luggage, “which proves that he knew perfectly well what he was carrying and that it was illegal.”
Multiple reports indicate that these eels are not destined for Morocco, where they are not consumed, but rather for China, where they are highly valued.
In Algeciras, the seizure of 65 kilos of eels allowed the dismantling of a Chinese network of trafficking in this protected species.
The members of the criminal organization illegally export eels to Asian markets, making a profit of € 37.6 million.
Ten people were arrested during the operation, including four Chinese nationals, three Spaniards, and three Moroccans.
Further search operations carried out in the Spanish coastal cities of Gijon, Piedras Blancas, Soto del Barco, and Algeciras also resulted in the seizure of 364 suitcases containing more than 5,000 kilograms of eels.
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