The Naze Summary Court fined two Chinese nationals 500,000 yen each on Oct. 14 for illegally collecting protected land hermit crabs on Amami Oshima. The men, aged 33 and 28, took 1,333 crabs from coastal areas including Amami City in June 2026 without national permission. The crabs are designated national natural monuments and are protected under the cultural properties law. The judge described the offense as organized and highly malicious, finding that the men acted on instructions from accomplices in China. The court also took their expressions of remorse into account when imposing the fines. Source: KTS News / MBC News
Photo: Cultural Heritage Online
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