CHENNAI, AUG 21 :  In a swift anti-poaching operation, the Indian Coast Guard on Wednesday apprehended a fishing boat with 450 kg of the endangered Sea Cucumbers and valued at Rs 1.8 crore, which was being smuggled in waters near Mandapam in the Palk Strait.

Sea Cucumbers is a protected species under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. The interception team from Indian Coast Guard operating north of Mandapam harbour detected a suspicious boat with gunny bags approaching towards the shore.

The ICG team started closing in on the boat. On reaching the shore, the occupants of the fishing boat tried to remove the banned Sea Cucumbers, but abandoned them on seeing the Coast Guard interception team fast approaching them, a defence release here said.

Even as the smugglers managed to escape in the dense foliage, the ICG team confiscated the boat along with the entire catch of about 450 kg of Sea Cucumbers. The estimated value of the confiscated consignment is about Rs 1.8 Crore.

This is the fifth catch of banned Sea Cucumbers in the Palk Strait area by the Indian Coast Guard this year so far. Apart from poaching of Sea Cucumbers, the Palk Strait is also prone to smuggling of other contrabands like gold, tendu leaves and narcotics from across the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). Indian Coast Guard maintains fast interception vessels both in the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar to respond to any illegal activities in Indian waters.(UNI)