Balasore: In a major crackdown, Forest Department officials on Wednesday rescued 26 cobras and arrested three persons including a woman, for their alleged involvement in illicit trade of venomous snakes at Panchupali area under Baliapal tehsil in Odisha’s Balasore district.
The alleged inter-state racket was being run by a couple, who were among those apprehended following a raid on their house by officials of Balasore forest division and Snake Helpline, sources said.
According to preliminary investigation, the reptiles were collected from various parts of the state and were being smuggled outside the state after extracting their venom. “We received reliable tip-off about the smuggling of cobras and immediately left Bhubaneswar around 3 am,” secretary of Snake Helpline Suvendu Mallick told a presser.
They reached Balasore at 5 am and along with forest officials carried out the raid. “We rescued 26 cobras which were kept in specially designed plastic containers with holes in them. We suspect involvement of more people in his racket,” he added.
Investigation is on to ascertain involvement of others in the racket, said Balasore Forest Division ACF Sovan Chand.
Bhubaneswar: President Droupadi Murmu, on a four-day visit to Odisha, arrived in Bhubaneswar on Saturday…
Mumbai: It’s been a week since Team India broke the World Cup drought by lifting the…
Bhubaneswar: President Droupadi Murmu conferred national gallantry award Shaurya Chakra on Lieutenant Bimal Ranjan Behera…
New Delhi: Over 150 lawyers have written to Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud…
Banki: Senior BJD leader and former Odisha Minister Shashi Bhushan Behera failed to appear before…
Bhubaneswar: Odisha government has announced that all schools, colleges and universities under it will remain…
Bhubaneswar: Mounting a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Odisha over…
New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be presenting the full Union Budget for 2024-25…