Police raid piranha breeding farm at northern home

Police on Wednesday arrested a man suspected of running a piranha breeding farm in his home in the northern town of Kiryat Ata.

Agriculture Ministry inspectors raided the man's home after being tipped off on the alleged farm.

They found several large aquariums where the suspect was allegedly breeding the dangerous fish for commercial purposes. The inspectors confiscated both the fish and the tanks for further investigation.

It is illegal in Israel to breed carnivorous fish, either for commercial or personal purposes.

The 20-year-old suspect confessed to the charges against him and named several other people involved in an illegal trade group operating in northern Israel.

Chairman of the ministry's fishing department, Chaim Ongini, said the allegation would be treated with utmost severity as breeding dangerous fish is a criminal offense.

If piranhas or any other dangerous fish reach public water sources, said Ongini, they are likely to multiply fast and pose a serious risk to all living creatures in their vicinity.

The piranhas discovered were each about a year old and measured 6 to 8 centimeters in length.

Piranhas originate in South America and are considered one of the most ruthless water creatures in the world. They usually attack their prey in groups, making it almost impossible to escape their attack alive.

A school of piranhas can kill a human within seconds. In their natural habitat, they feed on fish, birds and other animals, and usually consume the local resources before moving on to other bodies of water.