Date:19/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/19/stories/2008121958890300.htm

Tamil Nadu

Snakes seized

Tirupur: The Forest Department officials arrested a retired police constable, P. Jaganathaswami, on the charge of possessing three ‘sand boa’ snakes at his house at Udumalpet on Wednesday night.

Official sources said possession and trading of the sand boa species was banned since they were classified as Schedule IV animal under the Wild Life Protection Act 1972, amended in 2006.

The accused, who took voluntary retirement from the police department, had kept the snakes in his possession for selling to middlemen involved in the trade of the species to foreign countries, sources added. The snakes were later released into the Chinnar forest.