Russia's Primorsky Krai Seizes 45 Tonnes of Kamchatka Crab in Smuggling Case, 12 Detained

The Investigative Department of the Russian Federation's Investigative Committee for Primorsky Krai has opened a criminal case on the facts of smuggling and illegal harvesting of aquatic biological resources, involving Articles 226.1 and 256 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The case concerns the harvesting and cross-border transport of at least 45 tonnes of Kamchatka crab (堪察加蟹), and 12 people have been detained on suspicion of criminal activity.

According to the press service of the Primorsky Krai Investigative Directorate, which informed Fishnews, between 1 October 2024 and 6 December 2025, an organized group of no fewer than 12 members operated in Primorsky Krai and Sakhalin Oblast. Group members used small vessels, crab pots and nets to organize the illegal harvesting of Kamchatka crab.

Law enforcement data show that the group harvested no fewer than 45 tonnes of Kamchatka crab, worth 284 million rubles.

The report also noted that group members bypassed customs and veterinary inspection, using small vessels to illegally transport the Kamchatka crab across the customs border and into a foreign exclusive economic zone.

The criminal case was supported by operational measures carried out by personnel of the Primorsky Krai Border Directorate of the Russian Federal Security Service. The Primorsky Krai Investigative Directorate said the necessary investigative actions are under way to establish all the circumstances of the crime and to collect and secure evidence.

The harvesting and transport activities covered by the case span 1 October 2024 to 6 December 2025, and information on the case was released on 5 November 2026.