Over 30 tonnes of potentially contaminated seafood, including Japanese clams and glass eels, were seized by European authorities, preventing a possible public health crisis during Christmas. The seafood was illegally harvested by organized crime groups in Portugal and Spain, exploiting Asian workers with low wages and unsafe fishing practices. The operation, led by Europol, resulted in the arrest of 62 individuals, marking the first proven case in the EU linking environmental offences and human trafficking.
Tainted seafood fished by criminal gangs has been seized by Europol Over 30 tonnes of contaminated seafood has been seized by European authorities, potentially saving millions of people from getting food poisoning over Christmas. Footage released by Spain’s Guardia Civil shows police officers seizing molluscs and six tonnes of glass eels worth up to 10 million euros on the seafood market, which were illegally harvested by organised criminal groups in Portugal and Spain.
The case is also notable for being the first proven crime in the European Union to combine environmental offences and human trafficking, Europol said. In a statement, the agency said the gangs would ‘fish illegally in Portugal, sending the molluscs to Spain and on to the criminal networks.
Europol Seafood Crime Human Trafficking Environmental Crime
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