VLADIVOSTOK, April 19 (Itar-Tass) — Russian border guards detained a vessel flying the flag of Panama in the Tatar Strait, north in the Sea of Japan, for poaching.

They found over 76 tonnes of frozen cooked crab legs in the refrigerator ship’s holds.

The vessel was tugged to the port of Korsakov for further investigation, the press service of the Sakhalin coastal guard said on Thursday.

The Nort refrigerator was found in Russia’s exclusive economic zone last weekend without any identification marks. The vessel’s captain did not respond to border guards’ requests and tried to escape.

Border guards tracked the ship and detained it in Japan’s exclusive economic zone. The crew included 13 Russian citizens.

A criminal case on violation of the rules of bioresources catching was instituted against the vessel’s captain.