Summary
Police in Saxony, Germany, uncovered an illegal wild garlic harvesting ring, seizing 100 kg of bulbs worth thousands of euros.
Six suspects, including repeat offenders, were caught in two separate vehicles with bags of the protected plant.
Wild garlic, prized in cooking, can only be collected in small amounts for personal use under German law. Large-scale theft is a recurring issue.
The suspects are now under investigation for gang theft.
Some species don’t grow very well in agricultural settings – especially forest products.
If you harvest too much from public property, then you’re breaking the law.
Maybe people will figure out how to farm it, which would probably lower the price enough so that people stop poaching it.