Gongbei customs announced in a statement yesterday that a man attempted to smuggle 72 Coenobita perlatus, a type of hermit crab, from Macau to the mainland via the Gongbei checkpoint earlier this month.
The statement identified the man as a mainlander surnamed Tan.
According to the statement, the man, who was entering the mainland through “the nothing to declare” channel on March 4, “deliberately” covered his shopping bag with his clothing.
Finding his demeanour suspicious, the statement said, customs officers intercepted him and seized 72 live crabs from his shopping bag.
Yesterday’s statement said that after technical assessments, Gongbei customs has confirmed that the crabs are all Coenobita perlatus.
This undated handout photo released by Gongbei customs yesterday shows the seized hermit crabs.
