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Japanese police have arrested three Chinese nationals for attempting to smuggle thousands of protected hermit crabs from the Amami Islands.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Hotel staff became suspicious of unusual rustling sounds coming from their luggage.<\/p>\n The hotel, located on the island of Amami Oshima, alerted authorities, who found around 160 kilograms of live hermit crabs packed into six suitcases. Police arrested the three men for violating Japan\u2019s nature conservation laws.<\/p>\n Hermit crabs on the Amami Islands are considered \u201cnational natural monuments\u201d in Japan. This means they are protected due to their environmental and cultural importance. Possessing or transporting them without special permission is illegal.<\/p>\n Each crab can be sold for as much as 20,000 yen (about $137) on the black market. Police are investigating whether the suspects intended to sell the animals as pets, consume them, or ship them abroad.<\/p>\n The case highlights ongoing problems with wildlife smuggling<\/a> in Japan and across Asia, where exotic animals are often targeted for profit.<\/p>\n Hermit crabs are small crustaceans that do not grow their own shells. Instead, they live in abandoned shells<\/a>, often from sea snails. They are popular pets in some countries.<\/p>\n Removing them from their natural environment threatens local ecosystems. In Japan<\/a>, protecting these animals is part of a broader effort to preserve the country\u2019s rich biodiversity, especially on unique island habitats like Amami Oshima<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Animal Reader is an independent animal news platform based in the Netherlands. We need your support to grow our platform that focuses on animal-related issues across the globe.<\/em><\/p>\n Hermit crabs<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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