[ad_1]
Three men were arrested in Japan because they tried to smuggle hermit crabs from the country.
The suspects at the age of 24, 26 and 27 and in Japanese media as Chinese nationals were widely identified on Amami, a southern island on which the spiral crustaceans are a protected species.
The authorities were made aware of the men’s live freight when the hotel staff who had been asked to take care of their luggage noticed that the suitcases made a “rustling”, the police said the local media.
The officials then discovered “thousands” of hermit crabs with a weight of around 95 kg. It was found that the third man had another 65 kg in another set of three suitcases.
“Our investigation continues whether you had it [the crabs] To sell them or keep them as pets or to eat them, a police spokesman for the AFP news agency said after the arrests on Wednesday. “We check all options.”
The police said that the hermit crabs were “a national treasure”, which was part of the variety of plant and animals of the Amami Island.
Hermit crabs – so called because they arouse mussels to life can be seen regularly on the beaches of the popular tourist destination.
According to the Japan Times, the crabs can be worth up to 20,000 yen (103 GBP).