VLADIVOSTOK, December 29 - RAPSI. The case of the Novikovo trawler's captain, accused of illegally selling blue crabs in the Sea of Okhotsk and inflicting an over $8.35 million damage to the state, was submitted to court with an approved indictment, a prosecutor's office told RIA Novosti on Thursday.

"It was established during the investigation that the vessel's captain in the Sea of Okhotsk ordered its crew to catch more than 300,000 crabs weighing more than 500 tons, which is well above the established quotas. The actions of the captain inflicted a major environmental damage amounting to more than 268 million rubles ($8.35 million) to Russias biological resources, the prosecutor said.

A criminal case was initiated against the captain. He may face up to five years in prison.

Earlier, on December 23, the Interior Ministry reported that the captain ordered its crew to illegally sale crabs in Russian exclusive maritime economic zone. The illegal catch was processed into semi-finished products on the vessel, and then transshipped to refrigerators in the sea.

According to the Interior Ministry, the criminal activity inflicted damages worth more than 565 million rubles ($17.6 million) to Russian biological resources. The captain is waiting for the trial under his own recognizance.