Three people were arrested on Wednesday and placed in police custody in connection with trafficking in glass eels. The species is classified as critically endangered and export is prohibited outside the European Union.
230 kg of glass eel (eel fry, editor's note) with a market value of around 70,000 euros as well as 17,000 euro in cash were notably seized. “The estimated annual value of illegal trafficking is estimated at several billion euros. Elvers are very popular because the kilo trades between 250 and 500 euros in France and up to 5,000 Euro in Asia,” indicates the prefecture.