After Belgian border police pulled over a vehicle, German officials confiscated cooked bats and about a ton of unrefrigerated fish.
The bats were discovered under the fish when a patrol stopped the car on Monday. The stop took place at a highway exit near the border city of Aachen, according to federal police.
The bats and fish were confiscated by a vet from the local consumer protection office who was dispatched to the scene.
The van, which was uninsured, was taken by police.
The driver, age 31, who was from the Ivory Coast, was charged with traffic violations and unauthorized entry. He had entered the country without proper documentation or a driver’s license, according to police.
Additionally, he is subject to administrative proceedings for breaking food hygiene laws, and local authorities are investigating whether he broke bat conservation laws as well.
