Mumbai – Indradev Pandey
Four individuals were arrested for allegedly trying to sell a red sand boa snake in Mumbai illegally, police said on Tuesday.
Acting on a tip-off, police held Narasimha Satyama Dhoti (40), Shiva Mallesh Adap (18), Ravi Vasant Bhoir (54), and Arvind Chaturam Gupta (26) from the Cuffe Parade area on Monday night, a police officer said.
Dhoti and Adap are from Telangana, while Bhoir and Gupta are residents of Mulund in Mumbai and Mumbra in Thane district, respectively.
“Assistant Police Inspector Amit Deokar received information through an informant that some people were visiting near Maker Chambers for the illegal sale of snakes used for medicinal purposes as well as black magic,” he said.
A police team intercepted an SUV and recovered a red sand boa, estimated to cost Rs 30 lakh in the grey market, placed in a bag.
The four individuals were booked under relevant sections of the Wildlife Protection Act, and the boa was handed over to the forest department, the official added.
