RAMANATHAPURAM
Two days after the Marine Police of the Coastal Security Group and Forest personnel seized 380 kg of sea cucumber, the special crime team of the district police seized a huge haul of 400 kg of the endangered species, protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act.
Acting on a tip-off, the special team, led by R. Rathinavel, Special Sub-Inspector, conducted a raid on a coconut grove at Therku Karaiyur on Tuesday and seized about 250 kg of fresh sea cucumber and 150 kg of processed sea cucumber, the police said.
The police said 10 persons, who were involved in processing the endangered species, fled from the spot on seeing the police. Those escaped included Villayutham, a habitual offender who procured sea cucumber from fishermen and supplied it to smugglers after processing it, the police said.
A police team, led by Jayanthi, Inspector of Police, Rameswaram Temple police station, assisted the special team in effecting the seizure. The police also seized the vessels used for boiling the species and handed over the seized sea cucumber to Mandapam Range Forest officials.
The Forest officials registered a case and launched an investigation, S. Sathish, Mandapam Range Officer, said.
Meanwhile, Deepak S. Bilgi, Wildlife Warden, Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park, held talks with fishermen leaders from Mandapam and told them that if their trawlers were used for catching the endangered species they would be seized.
The fishermen were supposed to let the sea cucumber back into the sea when they caught it inadvertently, but some greedy fishermen sold it to agents of smugglers. Mr. Bilgi said he proposed to hold talks with fishermen leaders from Rameswaram in this regard.
