- 14 Mar 2002
- 21,056
- 18,912
Police on Japan's Amami Islands arrested three Chinese nationals after discovering thousands of protected hermit crabs packed into several suitcases. According to local authorities, the suspects—identified as Liao Zhibin (24), Song Zhenhao (26), and Guo Jiawei (27)—were found in possession of approximately 160 kilograms (353 pounds) of live hermit crabs on Wednesday. The arrests followed a tip-off from a hotel worker in Amami City, who contacted environmental officials after noticing something unusual about the luggage the men had left with hotel staff. Authorities said the staff had reported hearing rustling noises from the suitcases in the storage. When police arrived to investigate, they discovered six suitcases filled with spiral-shelled hermit crabs, all of which are protected under Japanese environmental laws.
Japanese hermit crab (photo credit: okinawanaturephotography.com)
Japanese hermit crab (photo credit: okinawanaturephotography.com)
