Gongbei Customs said in a statement yesterday that its officers recently intercepted a woman from Macau at Zhuhai’s Gongbei checkpoint, as they found she was carrying 90 live “vampire crabs” in her handbag when entering Zhuhai through the “nothing to declare” channel.
According to the statement, the 90 live crabs seized from her included six kinds of vampire crabs, all wrapped in three food bags, each containing a number of transparent plastic tubs carrying one small live crab inside.
The crabs have bright colours and are of different varieties, each with a body length of no more than three centimetres, the statement said.
According to Wikipedia, vampire crabs, scientifically known as geosesarma dennerle, are native to India, Southeast Asia and other regions. They are regarded as an alien species in China. The vampire crabs are popular in the aquarium trade, comprising 67 recognised species.
Gongbei Customs stressed that carrying or mailing alien species and their products to the mainland must be approved by the relevant administrative department. Their owners must hold an import certificate and take the initiative to declare the animals to customs officers, as otherwise the border crossers face legal action by the judicial authorities.
These undated handout photos provided by the Gongbei Customs show the tiny vampire crabs in plastic mini-containers.
