Three men were detained after their suitcases burst with hermit crabs at an airport, creating pandemonium as customs officials faced a crustacean stampede. Packing hermit crabs in luggage is the new travel faux pas.

Police say Amami’s hermit crabs, valued at up to ¥20,000 each, are a “national treasure”—and this bizarre airport chaos has unleashed a viral wildlife smuggling scandal as authorities scramble to protect endangered species from black market trafficking.