CITES Secretary-General’s Certificate of Commendation awarded to Europol for successful law enforcement operation to address illegal trade in European eel
CITES Press Release 09/11/2023 — “CITES has awarded Europol a Certificate of Commendation to Europol in recognition of exemplary inter-agency coordination and operational activities undertaken during the latest edition of Operation LAKE, a joint operation that targeted the trafficking of European eel.”
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SEG welcomes this recognition of Europol’s work in fighting the IWT of European eel.
Since 2015, Operation LAKE has been a driving force in combatting the illegal trafficking of glass eel, arresting 256 people during Operation LAKE V from October 2022 to June 2023. We especially commend the international cooperation between EU Member States in executing such a programme.
A full link to Europol’s press release on Operation LAKE V is available below.
Law enforcement casts net over 256 eel smugglers | Europol
With an increase of over 50 percent in arrests and seizures, Operation LAKE’s latest season marked a new record as the most successful yet. Among the 256 arrested were nationals of China, Malaysia, France, Spain and Portugal, including two high-value targets and fifty of their closest associates.