Eight arrested as Europe cracks down on lucrative eel smuggling syndicates

Eight arrested as Europe cracks down on lucrative eel smuggling syndicates

Authorities in France and Spain have arrested six French nationals and two Spaniards who were allegedly part of a transnational syndicate that were trafficking critically endangered European eels. The suspects are accused of smuggling more than 7 million eels worth 600,000 euros ($693,000) over two years. The joint investigation began a year ago. In March 2025, the public prosecutor’s office in Bayonne, a city in southwestern France bordering Sp…