While seahorses are an endangered species, they continue to be the victims of contraband.

A Chinese man was arrested in Ecuador while trying to illegally transport 213 dead seahorses to the Netherlands, the prosecution said on Monday.

The man was arrested at Guayaquil International Airport as he tried to board a plane bound for Amsterdam, the same source said.

The seahorses were distributed in five plastic bags of half a kilo each, hidden in one of his luggage.

The individual cannot leave the country before the end of his trial.

Ecuadorian law punishes crimes against wild flora and fauna with sentences of up to three years in prison, the prosecution said.

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  • Threatened species

  • Netherlands

  • Animal protection

  • Animals

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  • Ecuador

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