The Dark Side of the Ocean's Cleanup Crews The humble sea cucumber, which burrows through the ocean floor eating decaying matter and recycling nutrients, has become an unlikely poster child for a multimillion dollar black market trade.
What was once a niche delicacy in East Asian cuisine has exploded into a global smuggling operation, with major crime syndicates muscling in on the action.
The Indian government's attempts to regulate sea cucumber trade have been largely successful, but the lure of easy profit has drawn poachers from as far away as Myanmar and Mexico.