Sturgeon snatched in poaching crackdown

In Russia's republic of Dagestan police have confiscated almost 8 tonnes of sturgeon caught by poachers. The fish was found in a truck stashed under boxes with fruits, and by law has been destroyed.

Police say sturgeon was ordered from Moscow and they’re now are trying to find the owner of the load.

It's not the first case of poaching on a large scale in Russia after sturgeon spawning season started. On Thursday, Moscow police confiscated a large store of poor quality caviar worth over $US 120,000 from one of the city's markets.

Russia is one of the world's leading producers of caviar, selling over seven tonnes a year. In Europe, a kilogramme of caviar costs up to 6,000 Euros, or over $US 9,000.