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.
Ohh. Bärlauch. Which yes is an allium but just using “wild garlic” makes you think we’re talking about garlic that happens to be wild, and bulbs. Taking the bulb with you with this stuff is culinarily pointless and hurts the population. Which is also why the stuff out of supermarket, which isn’t wild but grown on fields, comes as leaves and flowers without bulbs.