In a major crackdown on illegal wildlife trafficking, police in Surat arrested seven persons and seized highly valuable snake venom estimated to be worth Rs 5.85 crore in the underground market.
Acting on a tip-off, a special police team detained a suspicious individual and recovered 6.5 millilitres of deadly snake venom from a small container in his possession. During interrogation, the accused, identified as Soni, revealed that the venom was meant to be sold for a huge sum through an illegal network.
Police said Soni was attempting to strike a deal for an even higher price. Using him as a decoy, officers laid a trap to nab the buyers involved in the secret trade. He was directed to proceed with negotiations, following which a group agreed to purchase the snake venom for Rs 8 crore and arrived at a pre-decided location.
Six more persons who turned up to buy the venom were arrested on the spot. Investigations revealed that four of the accused are from the Vadodara region of Madhya Pradesh, while the remaining two are residents of Surat.
Police officials stated that this is the first time such a high-value quantity of snake venom has been seized in Gujarat. They added that deadly snake venom is illegally traded for multiple clandestine purposes, including the manufacture of anti-venom drugs and use in illicit activities such as underground drug parties.
Further investigation is underway to identify the wider network involved in the illegal trade.
