In a major breakthrough against wildlife crime in Jharkhand, the Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR) team, in a joint operation with the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, has seized snake venom valued at nearly ₹80 crore in the international market.
Officials confiscated a total of 1.2 kilograms of venom, allegedly collected locally and prepared for smuggling abroad. During the operation, forest officials arrested three traffickers and detained seven others for questioning.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Mohammad Siraj and Mohammad Miraj from Deo in Aurangabad district of Bihar, and Raju Kumar of Kawakhoh in Hariharganj, Palamu. Officials also recovered pangolin scales from the traffickers, estimated to be worth over ₹15 lakh.
According to sources, the operation was part of a sustained crackdown that had been underway for several days. The network came to light following the recent arrests, which led investigators to unravel the larger smuggling chain.
PTR Deputy Director PK Jena confirmed the operation, stating that it began following a tip-off regarding illegal trading of snake venom in the Palamu region.
He added that the arrested accused are being thoroughly interrogated to determine the international destinations where the venom was being supplied.
Jena further noted that seven more individuals have been detained for questioning, and raids are continuing across multiple locations to dismantle the entire trafficking network.
He also recalled a similar action taken one month earlier, when PTR teams had seized several weapons during an operation against poachers targeting tigers and other wildlife species.
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