Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) recently exposed a major international smuggling operation orchestrated across at least three cities around the country. In a social media post, the agency confirmed its inspectors seized an estimated 50,000 dried shark fins hidden inside fake car part shipments at ports in Anchorage, Alaska,; Cincinnati, Ohio, and Louisville, Kentucky, As a highly coveted delicacy in many Asian cuisines, the over 1,600 pounds of poached ingredients discovered last October were valued at more than $1 million and “linked to a larger trafficking network,” according to FWS officials. “All fins were seized for multiple violations of wildlife laws—another strong step forward in stopping the illegal trade of threatened species,” the FWS explained, adding that it has also shared relevant information on the operation with international partner organizations. The U.S. passed legislation banning shark fin sales in 2022. Credit: USFWS The first disguised box in this recent seizure was initially discovered by inspectors in …