The Marine Police and personnel attached to Mandapam Forest Range have seized 650 kg of processed sea cucumbers at Vedalai in Ramanathapuram district.
Following a tip-off, the team seized the consignment from a vacant land. The team members said they had registered a case against one J. Mohammed Ali Jinnah, who was absconding. The Indian Coast Guard, based on intelligence input, launched an anti-poaching operation in coordination with the Forest Department and prevented the illegal transhipment of 650 kg of processed sea cucumbers off Vedalai seashore.
The officials said sea cucumber, an ‘endangered species’ protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, was an important constituent of the coral ecosystem.
