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Two apprehended for hiding illegally caught female snow crabs in Pohang

Published: 09 Oct. 2025, 14:46

Thousands of crabs are seen stored in a home aquarium in Pohang [POHANG COAST GUARD]

Two people, including the captain of a fishing vessel, were caught by the Coast Guard after hiding thousands of illegally caught female snow crabs in home aquariums.

The Pohang Coast Guard is investigating the suspects, including a man in his 50s, on charges of violating the Fisheries Resources Management Act, according to police reports on Thursday.

On Sunday night at approximately 10:09 p.m., the suspects allegedly loaded 155 female snow crabs onto a truck at a port in Guryongpo-eup, Nam District, Pohang, North Gyeongsang, and transported them to a private residence. Authorities also suspect they had hidden an additional 2,165 female snow crabs in two aquariums at that residence.

The Pohang Coast Guard said it had received a tip-off about the transporting of female snow crabs and was patrolling the area when they spotted and stopped the vehicle, leading to the arrest of the suspects. Investigators are now looking into the full details of the case, including whether there were any additional violations.

The over 2,000 female snow crabs seized were released back into the sea off the coast of Guryongpo.

Under the Fisheries Resources Management Act, the catching, distribution, storage or sale of female snow crabs is punishable by up to two years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won ($14,100).

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]