In Japan, three men have been detained for attempting to sneak hermit crabs out of the state.
The suspects, who were 24 years old, 26 years old, and commonly known in Japanese media as Foreign nationals, were taken to Amami, a south area where the spiral-shelled crustaceans are a protected varieties.
When resort staff, who had been asked to look after the people’s belongings, noticed the backpacks making a “rustling noise,” police told local press, officials were alerted to the men’s life goods.
After that, soldiers discovered” thousands” of hermit crabs, which weighed about 95 kg. Another set of three backpacks, which included the second man, were discovered to possess 65 kg.
Following the prosecutions on Wednesday, a police official told the news agency AFP that “our investigation is ongoing to determine whether they had the crabs to buy them, to keep them as pets, or to take them.” ” We are looking at every possibility.”
The monk crabs, according to police, were” a regional treasure” because they were a part of Amami Island’s plant and animal variety.
Hermit crabs are frequently seen on the shores of the popular tourist destination, so the name “hermit crabs” is given to the creatures that scavenge shells from the sea.
According to the Japan Times, the crabs can be worth up to 20 000 ( £103 ).