Workers release 170,000 endangered glass eels found in suitcases at Schiphol into nature

The 170,000 young eels that were found in passenger suitcases at Schiphol Airport last week were released into the wild. Customs officials searched four suitcases belonging to two different passengers flying to Malaysia, and found plastic bags containing a total of about 54 kilograms of live eels.

"Last Friday afternoon, they were released in the Randmeren, near Harderwijk," said the Dupan foundation in a statement on Monday. The foundation specializes in the protection of eels and waterways. They were brought in by the food and merchandise authority NVWA to care for the eels after they were found last Tuesday.

The European glass eel is on the critically endangered list, and is a protected species in Europe. "Glass eels are very vulnerable and the sooner they are released, the better it is for the small fish. But before that is allowed, one must be sure that they are indeed European eels and that they are free of disease," said Alex Koelewijn from the Dupan foundation

Two Malaysian men were arrested after the eels were found last week, as the eels may not be imported or exported, the NVWA said. "Glass eel smuggling is a lucrative wildlife crime. Every year, couriers from Asia remove them from Europe to sell them for a lot of money to nurseries, especially in China," the Dupan foundation said.

In some countries, the eels can be sold for several thousand euros per kilogram. "Completely banning illegal trade seems almost impossible. In China, where glass eels are grown into eels for consumption, they offer five to ten times as much as in Europe, making the smuggling very attractive to criminals. But the European quota is there for a reason," Koelewijn said. "That is why it is good that customs officials are alert and put these poachers behind bars.”

"The trafficking of glass eels is one of the most substantial and lucrative illegal trades of protected species worldwide, with illegal profits estimated to be up to 3 billion euros in peak years," Europol said regarding a prior glass eel smuggling investigation. Organized crime gangs have been known to use airline passengers as mules with a system that keeps the eels alive for two days.

"The control of capture and trade through a certified standard for chain of custody makes legal glass eels traceable everywhere, making illegal export more difficult. About 90% of the entire catch and trade has now been certified," the Dupan foundation said.