Over 150 tons of crab, more than 100 tons of live crab, and 70 tons of other seafood were seized from the vessels, said Alexander Lebedev, who heads the Northeast Frontier Coast Guard department of the FSB.
He said checks of another 60 vessels were conducted and 19 violations of the Russian legislation were found, adding that the economic damage is estimated at over 112 million rubles ($4 million).
This year, Russia has launched a crackdown on the illegal export of crab and other seafood. In May 2007, Russia banned the export of live crab, but large volumes continue to be smuggled out of the country, primarily to Japan and South Korea.
Since January, Russia's border guards have returned to the sea more than 246,000 live crabs, with an estimated commercial value of over 170 million rubles ($6.1 million).
