Maharashtra: Two held with rare red sand boa in Jalna

Photo for representational purpose

Two men have been arrested for alleged illegal possession of a non-venomous red sand boa, which they were trying to sell through social media in Maharashtra's Jalna district, a forest official said on Thursday.

The police arrested Mohammad Rafique Yakub (47), a resident of Deualgaon Raja, and Vishal Bhimrao Sardar (25), a resident of Chikli in Buldana district earlier this week and recovered the snake from them, forest officer Shrikant Itlod said.

The red sand boa, popularly known as two-headed snake, is listed under Schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The accused had posted a picture of the snake on Facebook and were inviting prospective buyers, and the matter came to light when a Mumbai-based NGO noticed the post and alerted the Jalna forest department. The duo was presented before the local court judge who remanded police custody till Thursday, it was stated.

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