JOIN USTwo men have been arrested from GTB Enclave of north-east Delhi for transporting two highly poisonous snakes and 500 mililitres of cobra venom worth around Rs 2 crore, police said on Wednesday.
Moin and Mehboob, who hail from Muzaffarnagar district in Uttar Pradesh, were held on a tip-off by animal welfare organisation People For Animals (PFA) on Tuesday evening.
“Officials of the PFA had informed us that some men could be transporting cobra venom in a Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation bus bearing registration number UP 42 AT 0673,” said B K Singh, additional deputy commissioner of police (north-east).
A team of representatives from police and the NGO then laid a trap near Dilshad Garden and stopped the bus running between Delhi and Meerut.
A bag was recovered from Moin and Mehboob in which two live snakes -- a python and a sand boa -- were kept in a thermocol box. They were also carrying 500 milliliters of cobra venom in a plastic bottle.
The duo was arrested and a case under section 39, 50 and 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act was registered.
It is believed that the snakes and the venom were brought to Delhi by a flight. The seized travel bag has an Indigo airline’s tag attached to it. Besides, on the thermocol box, a strip reading “X-ray and physically checked” was stuck.