Bulgarian customs officials got a bit of shock when they discovered two million live baby eels hidden in some luggage.

Two Chinese chaps, who were travelling from Madrid were arrested at Sofia airport for trying to smuggle the little beasties in eight containers. Our eel-loving Chinese travellers declared the eels as food items.

The problem arises when you find out that the eels contained in the luggage were of the European eel species, which are classified as critically endangered and cannot be exported at all. Even within the EU, any sales of these little slippery slinkers endure heavy regulation.

Unfortunately for these little eels, or elvers as they are known, are regarded by some as a delicacy and can fetch up to 1,300 euros for just one kilo… the amount seized by the Bulgarian officials had an estimated value of several thousand euros.

But don’t worry, concerned readers, the little blighters will live to wriggle another day as they were taken in by a rescue centre in the city of Varna, where they will get to try a little local cuisine, see the sights and maybe take in a show… whilst the Chinese smugglers were chopped up and fed to large conger eels at a local aquarium (the last bit may be untrue.)