Four individuals were cited by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife police on June 16 after attempting to conceal 21 Dungeness crabs on their bodies. The incident occurred on the Tokeland tidelands, where an officer observed a man placing a live crab into his female partner's jacket hood.
When approached by the officer, the couple was joined by another pair. All four denied possessing any poached crab, despite a crab leg being visible protruding from one woman's jacket. As the group attempted to leave, officers noted suspicious bulges in their clothing.
During an inspection, officers discovered the women had sewn-in pouches and wore bodysuits designed to hide the shellfish. Crabs were found concealed in multiple locations, including pants and a bra. The officer asked the group multiple times if they had more crabs, and each time they denied it. Eventually, the women produced crabs from their clothing.
Between the two women, 21 Dungeness crabs were recovered. This included 19 undersized crabs and one female crab, both of which are illegal to possess under Washington state regulations. The legal limit for Dungeness crab varies by location but ranges from five to 12. In Washington, only male Dungeness crabs measuring at least 6 inches can be kept, while females must be released.
"Three purposely-built crab hiding bandoliers and one puffer jacket with pouches were seized for evidence," the police stated. The four individuals were criminally cited for failing to submit their catch for inspection and for possessing undersized crab. Dungeness crabs are a valuable commodity, typically selling for $15 to $35 per pound at retail.