In Uttarakhand, three red sand boas were detained for smuggling protected species

Dehradun: Three men were detained by Uttarakhand police on Friday for allegedly smuggling a red sand boa snake, which is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act. The police also rescued the snake. The snake was carried from Haryana to Dehradun for sale by the accused, Anil Kumar (40) from the Kurukshetra district of Haryana, Ashok Kumar (50) from Yamunanagar district, and Sandeep Kumar (41) from Haridwar district. They were allegedly part of the Ladwa Gang, an international wildlife smuggling network.

According to an officer, the recovered snake species is worth around ₹1 crore on the global market. In 2021, the uncommon non-venomous red sand boa (Eryx johnii) was added to the IUCN's (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species. Since the snake is believed to bring luck and success and is used in ceremonies to call for rain or money, it is highly valued on the black market.

According to senior superintendent of police Ajai Singh, authorities received a tip on May 2 regarding three members of an international wildlife smuggling organization who were in possession of a rare red sand boa, a species that is frequently connected to black magic. The accused planned to sell the snake while waiting on Canal Road in Vikas Nagar in a white Swift automobile without a license plate. In order to capture the suspects, we promptly organized a special police force. The group blocked off the area and stopped the car," Singh continued.