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| - European police have seized two tonnes of endangered baby eels and arrested dozens of suspected smugglers, though the seven-month operation was hampered by coronavirus lockdowns, the EU's police agency said Thursday. The haul was estimated to be worth 6.2 million euros ($6.9 million) in market value in Asia, where eels are a delicacy, the agency said. However, the seizure was just a third of the six tonnes taken in last year. The annual operation, which took place between October 2019 and April 2020, was "more challenging" this year because the fishing season coincided with China's coronavirus lockdown, Europol said. "This made the links between the EU and the Asian country more complicated and had an impact on all transactions, including illegal ones," the agency said in a statement. Police held 108 suspected traffickers, including 26 in France and 56 in Spain. Eel stocks in western Europe have been decimated in recent decades. Smuggling gangs take the baby fish -- known as glass eels because of their translucent skin -- by road and air to Asia, where they are grown in farms to their full size and sold in markets. Asian restaurants use eels, both smuggled and legally supplied, grilled whole over charcoal, stir-fried or steamed. smt/cr/jxb/jv
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