Acting on the directive of Superintendent of Police (CSG) D Ashok Kumar, a special team led by Inspector of Police ARajarajan seized 300 kg of fresh sea cucumber from an agent, who brought them to the shore at the Mandapam north fishing jetty.

The agent, identified as A Asif Ali (36) from Mandapam, was returning to the shore in a country boat after collecting the marine species from fishermen on the high seas, when the team apprehended him and confiscated the boat, Mr Ashok Kumar said.

In another operation, a special team of forest personnel led by S Sathish, forest range officer (Mandapam range), raided a house in the Rameswaram market area and seized 50 kg of processed high quality sea cucumber. An agent, N Ibhrahim Ghani (42), was arrested when he was ready to sell the species to a contact person, Mr. Sathish said.

The seized species were identified as sandfish sea cucumber ( holothuriascabra ) and black sea cucumber ( holothuriaatra ), which fetched a high price for the smugglers.

The endangered sea cucumber was protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act. Though fishermen were sensitised to release the sea cucumber back into the sea if they caught the species inadvertently while fishing, some greedy ones sold them to smuggling agents. Besides, a section of fishermen directly caught them, using special nets and trawlers, he added.