RAMANATHAPURAM
The Marine Police of the Coastal Security Group (SCG) have seized about 200 kg of endangered sea cucumbers, protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and detained a man, who was transporting the marine species at Devipattinam.
Acting on a tip-off, a special team, led by Inspector A. Rajarajan and Sub-Inspector M. Balakrishnan, detained A. Mohamed Nahim (23), a native of Devipattinam, on Sambai seashore in the early hours of Monday, when he was transporting the sea cucumbers in a van.
After spotting the police team, Nahim attempted to drive fast, but the police chased and intercepted his vehicle. On inspection, they found that Nahim had collected the endangered marine species from fishermen in Thondi and Thirupalaikudi, who caught them inadvertently while fishing, at the behest of smugglers.
Nahim told the police that he would process the sea cucumbers after boiling and drying them, and some contacts would visit his place and procure them for smuggling.
The fishermen were supposed to let the sea cucumbers back into the sea but some of them sold them to smugglers, the police said.
Nahim was handed over to the Forest Range Officer here, who arrested him under Sections 9, 39, 50 and 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act. The accused was produced before a Magistrate Court and remanded in judicial custody.
Forest personnel destroyed the seized sea cucumbers on court order.