Chinese men caught with 2 million baby eels in luggage

Bulgarian customs seized two million endangered baby eels concealed in the luggage of two Chinese men arriving from Spain, officials said.

The tiny baby eels, or elvers, are seen by some as a speciality.

They fetch about 500 euros (HK$4,370) per kilo in Europe and up to 1,300 euros in Asia, the customs agency said.

The eels were packed in water-filled bags inside eight polystyrene boxes and were placed inside the men’s checked luggage.

The bags weighed 45kg, meaning the haul could potentially have sold for almost 60,000 euros.

European eels (scientific name Anguilla anguilla) are classed as critically endangered species.