Authorities in Japan’s Amami Islands have arrested three Chinese nationals after discovering thousands of protected hermit crabs packed into multiple suitcases.
Picture/Joe Green/Unsplash
According to local police, Liao Zhibin, 24, Song Zhenhao, 26, and Guo Jiawei, 27, were found on Wednesday with approximately 160 kilograms (353 pounds) of live hermit crabs.
The incident occurred on Amami Oshima, a city on the southern Japanese island known for its rich biodiversity.
Suspicion was first raised by a hotel employee who noticed something unusual about the luggage the men had left in storage.
“They heard rustling sounds coming from a suitcase that was being held in storage,” a police officer told CNN.
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Environmental authorities were alerted, and when police investigated, they discovered six suitcases filled with spiral-shelled hermit crabs. Upon the men’s return to the hotel, they were taken into custody for illegally possessing the crustaceans, as reported by Kyodo News.
It remains unclear why the suspects were transporting such a large quantity of the animals.
While officials did not confirm the specific species, police told CNN that the hermit crabs are designated as “national natural monuments” in Japan, a classification given due to their cultural and scientific significance. As such, they are protected under national law.
Located just north of Okinawa, the Amami archipelago is a noted tourist destination famed for its endemic flora and fauna.
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