Uttarakhand police rescue purple sand boa, arrest 3 for wildlife smuggling
Dehradun: The Uttarakhand police on Friday rescued a purple sand boa snake and arrested three males who have been allegedly smuggling the protected species, listed beneath Schedule I of the Wildlife (Safety) Act.
The accused — Anil Kumar (40) from Haryana’s Kurukshetra district, Ashok Kumar (50) from Yamunanagar district, and Sandeep Kumar (41) from Haridwar district — reportedly members of the Ladwa Gang, a global wildlife smuggling community, had introduced the snake from Haryana to promote it in Dehradun.
“The recovered species of snake is valued at roughly ₹1 crore within the worldwide market,” an officer mentioned.
The purple sand boa (Eryx johnii), a uncommon non-venomous snake, is listed beneath the IUCN (Worldwide Union for Conservation of Nature) Purple Record of Threatened Species in 2021. The snake fetches excessive worth within the black market as it’s mentioned to deliver good luck, prosperity and is used throughout rituals to invoke rain or pray for cash.
“It’s used within the manufacturing of sure medicines and cosmetics, and can be believed to have significance in black magic, making it extremely wanted globally,” the officer mentioned.
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Police had obtained a tip-off on Could 2 about three members of a global wildlife smuggling gang in possession of a uncommon purple sand boa, a species usually related to black magic, senior superintendent of police Ajai Singh mentioned.
“The accused have been ready in a white Swift automotive with out a registration quantity on Canal Street in Vikas Nagar, aspiring to promote the snake. We instantly shaped a particular police group to apprehend the suspects. The group cordoned off the world and intercepted the car,” Singh added.
A two-headed purple sand boa was present in a bag on the rear seat of the automotive.
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“Upon interrogation, the three suspects failed to supply any passable clarification. When questioned additional, they confessed that they’d introduced the snake from Haryana to Dehradun to promote it at a excessive value to be used in black magic. In addition they admitted that the snake fetched costs within the vary of ₹1 crore on the worldwide black market,” Singh mentioned.
The forest division was referred to as to examine the snake. “The forest officers recognized the snake as a purple sand boa and knowledgeable that it’s listed beneath Half C (Reptiles), Serial No. 01 of Schedule I of the Wildlife (Safety) Act, 1972 (as amended in 2022). Any searching, commerce, possession, or transport of the species is strictly prohibited and regarded a punishable offence,” Singh mentioned.
A case was registered in opposition to them on the Vikas Nagar police station beneath related sections of the Wildlife (Safety) Act, 1972.
