NAGAPATTINAM: Following a tip-off that a large quantity of sea cucumber (‘kadal attai’ in Tamil) was being stored at Keerakollai Theru in Nagapattinam illegally, a team from the Coastal Security Group (CSG) led by marine police inspector R Rajasekar raided the spot and seized 526 kg of the marine animal.
The police also held T Muruganantham, a repeat offender, who was processing the cucumber in the warehouse, preparing them for smuggling into foreign countries. The police weighed the cucumber and found it to be around 526 kg, which worth around Rs 26.3 lakh and even higher in the black market.
Sea cucumbers are marine echinoderms with leathery skin and elongated bodies that dwell at the bottom of the sea. They are classified as ‘Endangered Species’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Despite a ban on their trade, they are being smuggled abroad where there is high demand due to alleged medicinal purposes.