500 kg of sea cucumber seized, 2 held

Acting on a tip-off, a team led by Inspector of Police, Coastal Security Group, P V Naveen seized the sea cucumber, which is worth an estimated Rs 5 lakh, at a godown in St. Mary’s Colony. The accused had rented the godown for processing sea cucumbers. Six gas cylinders, one gas stove, and three aluminum barrels used for processing the sea cucumbers, besides a two-wheeler, were also seized.

The accused were identified as K Meerasha (46) of Lourdammalpuram and J Antonyraj (41) of Threspuram. They were earlier booked on similar charges, sources said. Investigations revealed that sea cucumbers, which are in demand in the Chinese market, are boiled, preserved with salt and dried before being sold to smugglers. As many as four cases have been booked and around 2,500 kg of sea cucumbers seized from offenders so far this year, leading to the arrest of seven persons.