Uttarakhand police rescue red sand boa, arrest 3 for wildlife smuggling

Dehradun: The Uttarakhand police on Friday rescued a red sand boa snake and arrested three men who were allegedly smuggling the protected species, listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) 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, an international wildlife smuggling network, had brought the snake from Haryana to sell it in Dehradun.

“The recovered species of snake is valued at approximately ₹1 crore in the international market,” an officer said.

The red sand boa (Eryx johnii), a rare non-venomous snake, is listed under the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species in 2021. The snake fetches high value in the black market as it is said to bring good luck, prosperity and is used during rituals to invoke rain or pray for money.

“It is used in the production of certain medicines and cosmetics, and is also believed to have significance in black magic, making it highly sought after globally,” the officer said.

Also Read:Red sand boa snake worth ₹1.25 cr rescued in Madhya Pradesh

Police had received a tip-off on May 2 about three members of an international wildlife smuggling gang in possession of a rare red sand boa, a species often associated with black magic, senior superintendent of police Ajai Singh said.

“The accused were waiting in a white Swift car without a registration number on Canal Road in Vikas Nagar, intending to sell the snake. We immediately formed a special police team to apprehend the suspects. The team cordoned off the area and intercepted the vehicle,” Singh added.

A two-headed red sand boa was found in a bag on the rear seat of the car.

Also Read:Red sand boa stuck in metal rings rescued from Delhi’s Uttam Nagar

“Upon interrogation, the three suspects failed to provide any satisfactory explanation. When questioned further, they confessed that they had brought the snake from Haryana to Dehradun to sell it at a high price for use in black magic. They also admitted that the snake fetched prices in the range of ₹1 crore on the international black market,” Singh said.

The forest department was called to inspect the snake. “The forest officials identified the snake as a red sand boa and informed that it is listed under Part C (Reptiles), Serial No. 01 of Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (as amended in 2022). Any hunting, trade, possession, or transport of the species is strictly prohibited and considered a punishable offence,” Singh said.

A case was registered against them at the Vikas Nagar police station under relevant sections of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.