Smuggled snake venom worth Rs 80 crore seized in Jharkhand’s Palamu, 7 held

A joint team of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and the Forest Department claimed to have busted a snake venom smuggling racket in Jharkhand’s Palamu district, and arrested seven people for their alleged involvement, an official said on Friday.

The team recovered around 1,200 gm of snake venom valued at Rs 80 crore and 2.5 kg of pangolin scales, he said.

Satyam Kumar, the District Forest Officer of Medininagar, told PTI that four people were arrested on Friday. Earlier, three others had been picked up on Wednesday following raids conducted on the basis of a tip-off.

The four arrested during the day were produced in a local court and sent to jail.

The three accused, including an elderly man and his son, who were arrested earlier had already been sent to judicial custody, he added.

Many others are likely to be involved in the racket, and the raids were continuing, the DFO said.

“The seized venom is valued at around Rs 80 crore, while the pangolin scales are estimated to be worth Rs 15-20 lakh,” an official said.