Customs officials in Hong Kong have made their largest bust ever, seizing more than 26 tons of illegal contraband. The shipment’s contents? More than 26 tons of shark fins from approximately 38,500 endangered sharks, they say.

The fins were discovered Wednesday in two shipping containers sent from Ecuador, the South China Morning Post reports. Apparently, shark fins are in high demand; customs officials estimate the shipment to be worth almost $1.1 million.

Customs agents say they became suspicious when they noticed the shipment’s bill of lading had been written in Spanish. “It’s unusual for some imported goods to be described in foreign languages other than English,” says customs official Danny Cheung Kwok-yin. He adds 31,000 of the fins came from threshers, while 7,500 were cut off silky sharks.

Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/hong-kong-seized-28-tons-shark-fin-largest-capture-ever-2020-5