Chhattisgarh: Four arrested with endangered red sand boa in Raipur

This picture has been used for representational purpose

Four smugglers were arrested with a non-venomous red sand boa, a protected species of snake, in Chhattisgarh's capital Raipur on Friday, police said.

The accused were staying in a rented house in old Rajendra Nagar under Civil Lines police station limits here and looking for customers to sell the snake, an official said.

Acting on a tip-off, a team from the Raipur police's cyber cell raided the house and rescued the rare snake, inspector Ramakant Sahu, in-charge of the Raipur cyber cell said.

The police have nabbed Kiran RP (31), Raj Kiran (28), Rinu B (27) and Sanil (33), all natives of Kerala, he said.

The accused have revealed that they had purchased the snake for Rs 10 lakh from Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh and were looking for customers to sell it for Rs 30 lakh, he said.

The police have seized a car used in the crime, apart from five mobile phones, Sahu said.

Popularly known as a two-headed snake, the red sand boa is protected under the Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and a near threatened (NT) species, a forest official said.

The snake is in demand in the international market for its so-called medicinal properties and because of a belief that it brings good luck, it was stated.

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