PALAKKAD: A man has been arrested with the skeletons of endangered seahorses which have huge market value. The man who was arrested by the forest department is a native of Tamil Nadu. The skeletons of the sea horses were nabbed in a joint operation by Palakkad Forest Vigilance Division and Olavakkode Forest Range, following a tip-off from the State Forest Intelligence Headquarters.

Satya Ezhilarasan Satyanathan, a resident of Chennai, was arrested from the premises of the Palakkad KSRTC bus stand with the skeletons. His suitcase contained 96 seahorse skeletons. Palakkad Forest Vigilance Divisional Forest Officer K Jayaprakash, Vigilance Range Forest Officer G Abhilash and Olavakkode Range Forest Officer Imros Elias Nawaz participated in the operation. The suspect who was taken into custody is being interrogated.

The collection and trade of seahorses, which fall under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, has been banned with effect from July 1, 2001 through a special moratorium. Seahorses are used for making medicine and drugs.