Fifty-six kilos of frozen baby eels – the largest black market cargo of its kind ever to be apprehended in Portugal – were confiscated and destroyed by GNR police during a roadside check near the International Guadiana Bridge in Castro Marim last week.
Police found the cargo in a Spanish goods vehicle heading for Spain. It is believed the eels were meant for human consumption, but it was impossible to test their fitness for this purpose, and thus the huge consignment – valued at €28,000 – was destroyed.
The species of European eel (Anguilla anguilla) is in danger of extinction and fishing for it at such an early stage in its life is against the law, said a press release from the GNR regional department.
While the frozen baby eels were destroyed, the Spanish lorry driver faced criminal charges.
This was one of the largest confiscations of eels on a national level, added police in their release, and the first to take place in the Algarve.
