49 dried seahorses were confiscated. A 50-year-old Vietnamese living in the Czech Republic had hidden the protected fish in clothing in his luggage. Powder for TCM products should have been made from the dead animals smuggled to Austria, the Ministry of Finance announced on Monday in a broadcast. The incident dates from early February. The traveler, who had arrived from Istanbul, was stopped by customs officials just as he was about to pass through the green channel at Vienna Airport. A wildlife detection dog was also involved in the search of the luggage.
According to the Treasury Department, the seahorses were confiscated and declared forfeited. The 50-year-old was fined 500 euros. “The mere fact that the dried seahorses were transported hidden clearly shows that the man was aware of the illegality of his action,” said Finance Minister Magnus Brunner (ÖVP) in the broadcast. “Deliberately damaging the biodiversity of our planet in order to make a profit from it shows a particular irresponsibility towards our planet.”
