India: In three different operations, Marine Police of Coastal Security Group (CSG) and Forest Department personnel seized 338 kg of endangered sea cucumbers, protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and arrested one person, who procured them at the behest of smugglers.

In a pre-dawn operation, a team of Mandapam Marine Police personnel, led by Inspector P.S. Ramesh Kumar, checked vehicles on the National Highway near Mandapam, and found 250 kg of fresh sea cucumbers in an autorickshaw. The police team seized the marine species and detained the auto driver, B. Abbas (32), who had procured them at the behest of smugglers.

Mr. Ramesh Kumar said the team, comprising Sub-Inspectors of Police Rajkumar and Jothi Basu and Forest Guard Vadamalayan, was taking the seized sea cucumbers and the auto to the police station after detaining Abbas, when it received a tip-off about transportation of another consignment of sea cucumbers on Mandapam north seashore.

As the team rushed to the spot, a man who was carrying the sea cucumbers on a two-wheeler dropped them on the seashore and escaped. The team seized the bag, which contained 80 kg of fresh sea cucumbers, Mr. Kumar said.

In another operation, a team of Forest Guards seized 8 kg of sea cucumbers, also on north seashore.

Abbas was handed over to Forest Department officials, who arrested him under Sections 9, 39, 50 and 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act. He was produced before a Judicial Magistrate Court here and remanded in judicial custody. The seized sea cucumbers were destroyed on court order, Forest Range Officer S. Ganeshalingam said.

Police said the modus operandi was that the accused and others, acting at the behest of smugglers, would collect the sea cucumbers from fishermen and process them by boiling. Then they would wait for “contacts” to procure them.

The sea cucumbers, believed to have medicinal values, were smuggled to Malaysia, Singapore and other countries, the police said.

(Source: The Hindu)