Bahraich (UP), Sep 9 (PTI) A forest department team has arrested a snake smuggler with five red sand boa snakes of rare species from a protected area of the Kakraha forest range here, officials said on Saturday.

The accused, Babu, was arrested on Friday evening by a patrol team from the reserve forest area in the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, Divisional Forest Officer Akashdeep Badhawan said.

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Babu, a resident of Bhagwanpur village in the Rupaidiha area which lies on the Indo-Nepal border, has been booked under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, the DFO added.

Officials said that the Red Sand Boa is a rare species of non-poisonous snake. It is used in making many types of medicines, purses, cosmetic items, for the treatment of cancer, intoxicants, expensive perfumes and medicines.

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The snake's demand is higher in foreign countries than in India, especially in China and Gulf countries, they added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)