A special forest mobile police team of Belagavi district in Karnataka has bursted a gang of three persons who were caught red handed while trying to trade a rare alive ‘Red Sand Boa’ snake at Raibag town of Belagavi district in Karnataka.
The arrested accused are identified as Beerappa Hirekodi(32), Satteppa Mallappa Hirekodi(42) both residents of Nidagundi village, Raibag taluk and Mahantesh Raosaheb Kamble(27) resident of Koligudda village.
Acting on confirmed information, the team of forest mobile squad headed by Inspector Rohini Patil nabbed the gang while selling the snake near Laxmi lodge in Raibag town of Belagavi and seized the alive snake and the materials used in trading the snake.
The Red Sand Boa which is commonly called as the Indian Sand Boa, is a non-venomous species found throughout the dry parts of the Indian subcontinent. It is a primarily reddish-brown and thick-set snake that grows to an average length of 75 cm. Unlike most snakes, the tail is almost as thick as the body and gives the reptile the appearance of being “double-headed”.
In recent past years, India has seen massive increase in the demand for Sand Boas in the illegal market. The superstitious beliefs are reported to be a major driver for its illegal smuggling. It is believed that keeping this snake brings good luck. Some also believe that it contains rare elements that are highly expensive and have supernatural powers.
