Police in the German town of Ravensburg reported on Wednesday that they have put an end to an illegal dog smuggling ring that had brought puppies from Croatia to Germany.

“Police have arrested a 33-year-old and a minor suspected of illegally transporting puppies from Croatia to Germany,” Ravensburg police said in a press release.

German law allows the sale of puppies only after they have reached 15 weeks of age and have been inoculated against rabies and have spent three weeks in quarantine.

The suspects had illegally transported the puppies, and some of the animals were diagnosed with a virus of the digestive tract caused by parasites.

Two more puppies were found in the one of the suspect’s homes, and local police are now investigating whether they too were illegally brought to Germany.

In a reply to state agency Hina Ravensburg police did confirm whether the suspects were Croatian citizens but did say that they were “people connected to Croatia.”

Illegal smuggling of puppies into the European Union, particularly from Serbia, has become a lucrative business in recent years. During the coronavirus pandemic the demand for dogs has increased so illegal smuggling increased, with prices future dog owners willing to pay for puppies increasing dramatically.