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Story summary
- Europol’s Operation Lake seized 22 tons of glass eels and arrested 26 suspects between 2024 and 2025.
- Traffickers pack live glass eels in water-filled bags inside suitcases, keeping them alive up to 48 hours during flights.
- The trade moves glass eels from Morocco through Mauritania and Senegal after tighter checks at Madrid airport.
- Experts estimate at least 100 tons—about 300 million glass eels—are smuggled annually, valued up to €9,000 per kilogram.
