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Custom puffer jacket used to hide illegal Dungeness crabs on WA coast

By
FOX 13 Seattle
Crime and Public Safety
Published June 30, 2026 12:59 PM PDT
Published June 30, 2026 12:59 PM PDT
4 cited for illegal crab harvesting in WA
4 cited for illegal crab harvesting in WA

4 cited for illegal crab harvesting in WA

Washington Fish and Wildlife officers say they cited four people for illegal harvesting along our state's coast and all of them apparently had a unique way of hiding the crabs in their clothes.

The Brief

    • Fish and Wildlife officers cited four people for illegally harvesting 21 Dungeness crabs along the Washington coast.
    • The group hid the crabs inside specialized sewn-in clothing pouches, a puffer jacket, and custom-made bandoliers.
    • State officials found that 19 of the seized crabs were undersized and one was a female, which law requires to be released.

PACIFIC COUNTY, Wash. - Four people face criminal charges after state wildlife officials caught them hiding nearly two dozen illegally harvested Dungeness crabs inside custom-built clothing pouches along the Tokeland tidelands, according to authorities.

Fish and Wildlife officers cited four people for illegally harvesting 21 Dungeness crabs along the Washington coast. The group hid the crabs inside specialized sewn-in clothing pouches, a puffer jacket, and custom-made bandoliers. State officials found that 19 of the seized crabs were undersized and one was a female, which law requires to be released.

(Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife)

Crabs hidden in clothing

What we know:

Fish and Wildlife Officer Garrison was monitoring shellfish harvesters on the Tokeland tidelands when he watched a man stuff a live crab into the hood of a woman's jacket, hiding it further with a large sunhat. 

Fish and Wildlife officers cited four people for illegally harvesting 21 Dungeness crabs along the Washington coast. The group hid the crabs inside specialized sewn-in clothing pouches, a puffer jacket, and custom-made bandoliers. State officials found that 19 of the seized crabs were undersized and one was a female, which law requires to be released.

(Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife)

The couple was joined by another pair, and when asked if they had any crab, they claimed they did not. However, the officer noticed crab legs sticking out of the woman's hood, along with bulging, drooping clothes and careful walking.

Fish and Wildlife officers cited four people for illegally harvesting 21 Dungeness crabs along the Washington coast. The group hid the crabs inside specialized sewn-in clothing pouches, a puffer jacket, and custom-made bandoliers. State officials found that 19 of the seized crabs were undersized and one was a female, which law requires to be released.

(Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife)

After the group presented five crabs for inspection, the officer asked six separate times if they had more, and they repeatedly denied it. Garrison then uncovered a crab under the sunhat, prompting the women to start pulling more crabs out of specially sewn pouches in their clothes.

By the numbers:

Even after they stopped handing them over, a pat-down revealed additional hidden catch. In total, the group concealed 21 Dungeness crabs, including 19 undersized crabs and one female crab. Officers seized three custom-built crab bandoliers and a puffer jacket with built-in pouches, and cited all four individuals criminally.

Fish and Wildlife officers cited four people for illegally harvesting 21 Dungeness crabs along the Washington coast. The group hid the crabs inside specialized sewn-in clothing pouches, a puffer jacket, and custom-made bandoliers. State officials found that 19 of the seized crabs were undersized and one was a female, which law requires to be released.

(Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife)

What we don't know:

Authorities have not released the names or identities of the four individuals who were cited in the incident.

The Source: Information in this story comes from the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife.

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