Chennai, Jun 29 (IANS): The Marine Police department at Devipattanam in Tamil Nadu seized Sea Cucumber, Cardamom worth Rs 17 lakh, which was meant to be smuggled to Sri Lanka.

The police seized these items bought from Kaliyapattanam on the wee hours of Tuesday. The Sea Cucumber and Cardamom were to be stored at Devipattanam and to be transported to Sri Lanka during night in hired boats, sources in the police department told IANS.

Police said that they had stepped up surveillance following a tip-off and intervened a gang along with the coastal hamlet. The marine police arrested Sadam Hussain (28) of Kayalpattinam who confessed that the gang had planned to smuggle the goods to Sri Lanka using the services of an agent.

Officers with the Marine, the police department said that they will be conducting searches at godowns in Kayalpattinam as the gang is believed to have stored more items to be smuggled to Sri Lanka.

Kasim Mohammed of Keelakarai was also arrested and the police said that they were on the lookout for two more accomplices of the arrested duo. Police sources said that mobile phone data retrieved from them showed that the arrested had contacted people in Sri Lanka.

Central Intelligence agencies have already stepped up the investigation as there were earlier reports of armed militants traveling to certain coastal regions of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The police are investigating whether the arrested had any terror background or whether they were just smugglers operating for a profit.