Authorities find 300,000 eels in Schiphol Airport shipment

On Monday, the Dutch authorities seized 105 kilograms of glass eels at Schiphol Airport. The protected baby eels were hidden in the suitcases of three passengers in transit from Portugal to Malaysia. All three were arrested, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) said on Thursday.

Schiphol security officers noticed that eight suitcases were filled with water and notified the Koninklijke Marechaussee, a policing force that works as part of the Dutch military and is responsible for port security. They also called in the NVWA because they suspected the suitcases contained glass eels.

NVWA inspectors found a total of 105 kilograms of glass eels - about 300,000 eels in total - in the suitcases. The inspectors confiscated the animals and released them into Dutch waters. The Marechaussee arrested two men and a woman from Malaysia for further investigation.

Eels are a protected species, and their export is subject to strict rules. Export is illegal without a CITES export license.