Two held for trading sand boas in Pune

India: The crime branch sleuths of Unit I of Pune police have arrested two persons in connection with the illegal possession of two sand boa snakes on Monday.

The suspects arrested have been identified as Ganesh Subhash Wafgaonkar, 18, and Raju Baban Shilimkar, 40, both residents of Bhor. Acting on a tip off that the duo will be arriving with the snakes, a team of crime branch officials laid a trap and arrested the suspects.

DCP (Crime) Pankaj Dahane said that the snakes belonged to sand boa species (Eryx Johnii) commonly known as Mandul in the local parlance. It is a non-venomous snake protected under schedule IV of the Wild Life Forest Act of 1972 and trading in it is illegal, he added. He further said that people in real estate, celebrities, astrologers and businessmen buy the snakes due to superstitions that they bring good omen.

(Source:  The Hindustantimes)