Man arrested for trafficking sand boa snake in Narmadapuram

Bhopal: A 65-year-old man was arrested in Madhya Pradesh’s Narmadapuram district for allegedly trafficking a rare red sand boa, a protected snake species often targeted by illegal wildlife traders due to superstition-driven demand.

The accused, identified as Omprakash Gaur of Mahendra village in Harda district, was detained in the Satwasa area under Dehat police station jurisdiction while allegedly carrying the snake in a box and searching for potential buyers, officials said on Saturday.

After the seizure, police alerted the forest department, which has joined the investigation. Authorities are now trying to determine where the reptile was sourced from and whether the accused is linked to a larger wildlife trafficking network.

A case has been registered, and the accused is expected to be produced before a court after undergoing a medical examination.

Commonly known as the “two-headed snake” because its blunt tail resembles its head, the red sand boa is protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act. The species is frequently targeted by illegal traders due to widespread myths that it can bring wealth, aid black magic rituals or possess medicinal properties, despite there being no scientific evidence to support such claims.

Wildlife officials say such beliefs continue to fuel the illegal trade in the species, posing a threat to its survival in the wild.