Police seize 1000s of illegal ‘sea cucumbers’ in Madrid restaurant

Police seize 1000s of illegal ‘sea cucumbers’ in Madrid restaurant

Municipal Police officers in Madrid last week intervened a total of 2,275 ‘sea cucumbers’ (Holothurians) in a restaurant in the Usera district of the city. The poaching of this species for commercial purposes is internationally prohibited, a spokeswoman for the Local Corps has informed Europa Press.

This action by the police occurred last Wednesday, November 3, in a restaurant on Calle Ferroviarios. Officers who patrol this area saw a local with these marine specimens inside, hydrating in an aquarium. Upon entering and inspecting them, they verified that they were ‘sea cucumbers’, an animal whose sale and purchase are restricted within the international CITEs agreement.

Those responsible for the premises could not prove their origin, so it is believed that they could be smuggled in. Therefore, the owner has been investigated for a possible crime against the flower, the fauna, and the seabed.

In addition, the officers carried out an inspection, and the establishment could be sanctioned for failing to comply with various hygienic-sanitary measures contained in the Law of Public Shows and Recreational Activities (LEPAR), according to the same sources.

Members of the Holothuria genus are found in the coastal waters of tropical and temperate regions. They are soft-bodied, limbless invertebrates that dwell on the ocean floor, and are usually detritivore. They resemble a cucumber in form, hence the name ‘sea cucumbers’, as reported by diariosur.es.

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