TOKYO, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Five people have been arrested in relation to the suspected illegal breeding and sales of Japanese killifish genetically modified to glow in red, Tokyo police said Wednesday.

The police said that the five people suspected of illegally breeding and selling the genetically modified fluorescent fish from 2021 through last year include Tomio Masuda, the owner of a killifish shop in Kasukabe in Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo.

The arrests marked the first in Japan for an alleged violation of the Cartagena Law, which came into force in 2004 to regulate the use of genetically modified living organisms to prevent adverse effects on biological diversity and the environment.

All of the suspects have admitted to the charges and no negative effects have been confirmed on the ecosystem, according to the Tokyo police.

The police said about 50 people had been in possession of such killifish, including the five who were arrested, and that about 1,400 fish were confiscated in the latest search.

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology said the modified killifish in question were traced to eggs taken from the Tokyo Institute of Technology by a student more than 10 years ago.

The ministry said it reprimanded the university and has also requested public and private universities and research entities to ensure they have implemented proper controls for modified living organisms. Enditem

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