Brazil Raids Clandestine Shark-Fin Plant in Bahia, Seizes 1.5 Tonnes, Detains 7

Overview

• Federal police, Inema and Ibama shut a rural drying and processing site in Rodelas after aerial imagery flagged suspicious activity.
• Authorities counted 1,583 kilograms of fins from multiple species, including parts from threatened sharks, in varying stages of drying.
• Seven people were detained at the site: four Brazilians, including an adolescent, and three Chinese nationals, with one foreigner identified as an apparent coordinator.
• The operation uncovered a local stage of an illicit supply chain that prepares fins for clandestine international markets.
• Suspects were booked for crimes against fauna, qualified receiving and corruption of minors, and the seized material is headed for technical analysis as the investigation proceeds.