Feds break up caviar ring that shattered import limits

A network of "mules" was established by a Russian businessman tocarry suitcases of tins of caviar illegally harvested from sturgeonin the Caspian Sea into Los Angeles and Miami airports. "It was nodifferent from a drug-smuggling ring," said Jennifer English, specialagent with the Fish and Wildlife Service. "They would pick upsuitcases in Poland, bring them to the U.S., go to a hotel, wait fora phone call, and get paid."

Beluga caviar comes from Caspian sturgeon, which have beenprotected by an international treaty for four years. The fish, whichcan live up to 100 years, are killed to extract the roe that is thensalted to make the caviar.

Numbers have fallen so low that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Servicerecently proposed adding it to the endangered species list, whichwould cut off all legal imports into the United States.

According to papers filed in U.S. District Court in Miami thisweek, Viktor Tsimbal, who ran an import-export company, set up theoperation in 1998 and paid each of his carriers about $460 to bringin their cargo. About six tons were brought in each year.

With caviar selling at about $150 an ounce and each "mule"bringing in 50 to 75 one-pound tins, their goods were worth as muchas $180,000 a trip. Officials said the profits from each journey werecomparable with the cocaine trade, in which smugglers are often paidfar less than $460.

According to the court documents, Tsimbal, 41, who pleaded guiltyto conspiracy, smuggling and money laundering charges, would relabelthe tins of caviar as Atlantic lumpfish, which, unlike the CaspianSea sturgeon, is not a protected species, in case they were stoppedat customs. He faces a maximum jail term of 30 years and a fine of upto $1 million.

Daily Telegraph