952-kg sea cucumber worth Rs 20 lakh seized 

RAMESWARAM: Mandapam police seized 952 kg of processed sea cucumber worth Rs 20 lakh that was meant to be smuggled to Sri Lanka on Thursday. Police said that the Superintendent of Police, E Karthik, received a tip-off that sea cucumbers were being smuggled from Vedhalai on a boat.

Acting on the tip-off Mandapam police searched a coconut grove owned by one Allah Pichai and found 258 kilograms of processed sea cucumber in seven gunny bags and 694 kilograms of sea cucumber were found soaked in huge barrels for processing, police said. Police are on the lookout for the accused involved. The police registered a case under various sections of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.