Resident of Hong Kong Who Smuggled Endangered Glass Eels from the United States Pleads Guilty | USAO-CT

Leonard C. Boyle, United States Attorney General for the District of Connecticut, and Edward Grace, Assistant Director, Office of Law Enforcement for the US Fish and Wildlife Service, announced that KING SHEUNG CHAN, also known as Nelson, 30, a, who is a permanent resident of Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China, waived his right to be charged and pleaded guilty to attempted smuggling of glass eels from the United States in Bridgeport Federal Court today.

According to court documents and statements made in court, there is strong overseas demand for the export of live young American glass eels, commonly known as “glass eels” or “elves”, to large “eel farms” in mainland China where baby eels live for human consumption Consumption increased to adult size. Along the Atlantic coast, commercial harvesting of glass eels is only legal in South Carolina and Maine, with Maine using a highly regulated quota system. In recent years, the legal price of glass eels has generally fluctuated between $ 3,000 and $ 5,000 per kilogram.

The illegal harvest and sale of glass eels to overseas buyers has damaged American eel populations and their long-term vitality. Since 2014, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature has classified the American eel as “endangered”.

Chan worked for Asia Aquatic Company, Ltd. based in Hong Kong and a Canadian company called Laknock Trading. Chan’s job was to get glass eels from countries in North America and Europe and to have them shipped to Hong Kong by night flight.

On April 28, 2021, Chan packed about $ 86,000 worth of live glass eels that had been stored at a Connecticut facility. Chan was told by undercover US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) officials posing as fishermen that these glass eels had been illegally fished in Virginia, Maryland and Massachusetts. After packing the glass eels in oxygen-rich bags, he paid the undercover officers $ 29,500 and drove the live cargo to JFK Airport.

Later that afternoon, Chan met the carrier near JFK airport who was handling the transit shipment of 10 boxes sent from Canada by Laknock Trading. Chan had arranged the shipping of the boxes containing bags of dead glass eels with some live eels mixed in. Chan opened the boxes, took out the bags of dead glass eels, and replaced them with the wrapped bags of live glass eels a few hours earlier in Connecticut. Chan sealed the boxes and sent them back to the carrier who took the shipment to the airline’s cargo area for export to Hong Kong. Shortly thereafter, FWS officers arrested Chan and confiscated the glass eels from the airline’s cargo area. FWS later released the glass eels into the wild.

Chan pleaded guilty to illegally smuggling 103 kilograms of glass eels worth approximately $ 340,000 from the United States to Hong Kong in 2017. Some of these glass eels were illegally harvested in Connecticut.

“I commend the US Fish and Wildlife Service for holding accountable those who drive this illegal market and deplete an important American wildlife resource for selfish gain,” said Acting US Attorney Boyle. “We will continue to investigate and prosecute foreign and domestic actors who profit from this illegal, lucrative trade.”

“In addition to the robust legal trade in American young eels or elves, they are also exposed to poaching and international trade,” said Edward Grace, assistant director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement. “Our natural resources are important to the American public and their economy. Working with our state and federal partners, the defendant has been arrested and prosecuted in the United States for his crimes. His admission of guilt sends a message to all wildlife traffickers, you will be caught and prosecuted. “

Chan has been detained since his arrest. He is due to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea on September 30, 2021. At this point, he faces a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $ 250,000.

This matter is being investigated by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement. This case is being prosecuted by US Assistant Attorney Hal Chen.