Sand boa snake worth Rs one crore seized, man held

Police have seized one sand boa snake, worth Rs one crore, from a man near Vasai in the district, an official said on Thursday.

The arrest was made on Wednesday, the official said.

"Acting on a tip-off, officials of the Vasai unit of the crime branch laid a trap at Valiv village on Mumbai- Ahmedabad Highway on Wednesday and caught Atik Shakil Qureshi (29) for possessing the sand boa snake, a protected species," Palghar police spokesperson Hemant Katkar said.

"The accused wanted to sell the snake, which is worth around Rs one crore. These non-venomous snakes are used in making certain medicines, cosmetics and in black magic, and are in huge demand in the international market," he added.

An offence under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 was registered against Qureshi at Valiv police station on Wednesday night and he was placed under arrest, the police said.