Marine police of Coastal Security Group (CSG) have seized about 200 kg of sea endangered cucumbers, protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and detained a man, who procured the species from fishermen at the behest of smugglers.
Acting on a tip-off, a special team, led by Jothi Basu and Rajkumar, Sub-Inspectors of Police, CSG, visited Mandapam north seashore on Sunday morning and arrested S. Suresh Kumar (37), who collected the endangered species to be supplied to a smuggler from Vedalai.
He was shifting the fresh species from one boat to another off the north seashore, after collecting them from local fishermen when the team detained him red-handed.
He told the police that he was procuring the species on behalf of smugglers, but did not know them. A contact from Vedalai visited his house to collect the consignment, he said.
Interrogation revealed that he had been engaged in the illegal trade for sometime.
The Marine Police could not detain fishermen who supplied the species to him as he would not name or identify anyone as they had tacit understanding, the police said.
Earlier, the fishermen supplied the species to smugglers if they inadvertently caught them while fishing. But of late, they lay net to catch sea cucumbers as it fetched them more money, the police said.
The police and forest department have advised fishermen to let the sea cucumbers back into the sea if they caught them inadvertently.
Forest Range Officer (Additional charge, Mandapam range), S. Ganeshalingam arrested the accused, who was handed over to them, under Sections 9, 39, 50 and 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act. He was produced before Rameswaram Magistrate Court which remanded him in judicial custody, he said.
This was the fifth seizure made by the Marine Police since August after it stepped up the drive against procurement and sale of the banned species.
On August 16, the Marine Police seized 200 kg of sea cucumbers at Thirupalaikudi seashore and detained N. Feroz Khan (38).
Police suspect smugglers in connivance with fishermen traded in the endangered species
