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The Far Eastern Customs Department initiated a criminal case against the captain of a Russian trawler on charges of multiple cases of crab contraband, the customs press service reported Wednesday.

The captain of the fishing trawler Penza, whose name is not revealed in the interest of the investigation, faces contraband charges which are punishable by a large fine and imprisonment up to five years, the press service reported.

The Penza was recently detained by patrol boats in the Russian territorial waters of the Sea of Japan. The customs inspectors revealed 300 kilograms of live crab catch onboard. Later, the inspectors found a map with markings of crab snares.

The border guards and customs officials inspected the places of the marked crab snares and found 4,000 metric tons of crab in them.

Inspectors found the trawler’s hidden documentation which contained information that the vessel had performed illegal trips with crab cargo to the ports of South Korea.

As requested by the Far Eastern Customs Department, the South Korean ports reported that the Penza had performed four visits to the ports of South Korea having delivered some 32,000 tons of crab.

The investigators intend to reveal who has gained profits from contraband crab sales.