Last night (30) the Federal Police (PF) arrested a woman with 300 kilos of sea cucumbers in the municipality of Angra dos Reis, Costa Verde in the state of Rio de Janeiro. The police intercepted a bus that was going from Angra to São Paulo and, during the search of the vehicle, they found five styrofoam boxes with the marine animals, which would be smuggled to the capital of São Paulo. The information was released today (31) by the Federal Police.
Sea cucumbers are a species of echinoderms of the class Holothuroidea, which occur in the deepest parts of the oceans and fulfill an important ecological function, because they recycle organic matter from sediments and redistribute nutrients. They have elongated bodies, reaching 25 centimeters, on average, and can be of different colors. Widely used in Asian cuisine, sea cucumbers are considered a delicacy in countries such as China, Japan and Malaysia.
According to information from the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama), the seized sea cucumbers are not endangered. However, their capture, transport and commercialization depend on authorization and license.
The woman arrested was taken to the Federal Police Station in Angra dos Reis to draw up the detailed statement of occurrence and, after signing the term of commitment to appear in court, she was released and will answer for the criminal offense in freedom.
