One held from Kalyan trying to sell red sand boa

Representational picture

In a trap set by the Maharashtra Forest Department , one person was arrested from Kalyan with a red sand boa - a non venomous snake - that is a protected species under the wildlife protection act , 1972.

Confirming the same, Range Forest Officer (RFO), Khardi (Wildlife), Darshan Thakur said, "We had got a tip-off from our sources that one person who had a red sand boa in his possession was going to arrive at a location in Kalyan looking for prospective buyers.

Based on the information, we laid a trap and arrested Sitaram Pawar near Khoni Phata on Sunday around 5.30 pm. The snake was recovered from him and an offence as per the wildlife protection act was registered. The accused was produced in court where he was sent to three days police custody."

The red sand boa that was recovered from the accused weighs 2.49 kg and is 145 cm long. In a press release issued by the forest department, it has been mentioned that the approximate value of the snake on the black market is Rs 1.5 crore.

However, senior officials from the forest department who did not wished to be named told mid-day, "There is no doubt that our teams have done a good job by arresting the accused, but they should have avoided quoting the approximate value of the snake because there is nothing as such. There is a demand for these snakes on the black market due to false beliefs but the cost factor varies from buyer to buyer."

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates