Boat from Kanniyakumari detained near Lakshadweep for poaching sea cucumber

The Lakshadweep Marine Wildlife Protection Force have detained a boat from Kanniyakumari district for allegedly involved in poaching banned sea cucumber near an uninhibited island.

When the Lakshadweep Marine Wildlife Protection Force Watchers of Thinnakkara anti-poaching camp were on night patrol around Perumalpar uninhibited islands they caught red-handed the poachers when they were catching sea cucumbers in two mechanized boats. The officials seized 486 giant sized sea cucumbers, worth about ₹5.45 crore and the boats besides arresting seven poachers.

The boats with the culprits were brought to Agatti Range Office headquarters for interrogation and Wildlife Offence Report (First Information Report) was registered against them under Wildlife Protection Act 1972.

The poachers – Julius Nayagam of Kanniyakumari, Jeganath Das of South Delhi, Paran Das of West Bengal, Sajan of Thiruvananthapuram and Abdul Jaffar, Mohammed Hafeelu and Saqlain Mushtaq, all from Agatti in Lakshadweep – were produced before Judicial Magistrate of Amini Island and remanded in judicial custody.

The inquiry also revealed that one of the two boats belongs to M. Rubin of Vilaagam Thoothur while the second vessel is owned by Abdul Jaffar from Agatti Islands.

Chief Wildlife Warden Damodhar, who lauded the efforts of the team, led by Range Forest Officer Abdul Raheem, ordered further inquiry to unearth the people behind the poaching, the mode of transportation of sea cucumber, international trading etc., a statement from the Department of Environment and Forest from Union Territory of Lakshadweep Administration said.