Man sentenced for smuggling endangered eels into Holyhead
A man has been sentenced after attempting to smuggle hundreds of critically endangered European eels into Holyhead from Ireland.
Kevin Forbes, 33, of Rossa Court, Dungannon in Northern Ireland, was caught with 37 boxes of eels concealed in a pallet locker beneath the trailer of an HGV he had driven from Dublin.
The discovery was made by Border Force officers carrying out routine checks at Holyhead Port in the early hours of 3 January 2024.
Forbes had no documentation for the eels, which are protected under conservation laws and cannot be legally exported. The animals were also being transported in poor conditions with little water, causing unnecessary suffering.
He claimed that he had collected the eels from outside the port in Dublin after the original driver transporting them into the UK had broken down.
An officer from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) examined the eels that were still alive, and those suffering were euthanised at the scene.
A joint investigation involving the North Wales Police Rural Crime Team, the National Wildlife Crime Unit and CEFAS led to Forbes being charged in November 2024 under the Customs and Excise Act and the Animal Welfare Act.
Appearing before Mold Crown Court on Tuesday, 28 January, Forbes was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, for causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal. He was also ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and fined £1,500.
The European eel (Anguilla anguilla) is listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, meaning it is at extreme risk of extinction.
Eels play a vital role in freshwater ecosystems, regulating species populations and serving as a food source for birds, mammals and larger fish.
PC Amy Bennett of the North Wales Police Rural Crime Team said: “Forbes had a grave disregard for the welfare of these critically endangered European eels, that were being transported in appalling conditions, causing unnecessary suffering.
“This case highlights the need for stringent enforcement of wildlife protection laws.”
Jon Hulland, Head of Enforcement for the Fish Health Inspectorate, said the case demonstrated the importance of joint agency work in tackling the illegal wildlife trade.
“This operation was an excellent demonstration of how joint agency working and cooperation can ensure the criminal fraternity involved in the illegal trade in this critically endangered species are sent a very clear message – we will take swift action against them to ensure the European eel’s continued survival,” he said.
Chief Inspector Kevin Lacks-Kelly, Head of the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit, added: “This gives us yet another snapshot of the illegal wildlife trade thriving in the UK.
“Again, we see criminals exploit our animals and the systems in place to protect them for financial gain, all whilst believing this is low risk and high reward.”
He thanked North Wales Police, as well as law enforcement partners in Ireland and Northern Ireland, for their work in bringing the case to court.
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