Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalroe (MB)
Pics Sphoorti Ullal

Mangalore, Mar 25: In a major operation, Pandeshwar police inspector Venkatesh Prasanna arrested four persons, reportedly hailing from Bhatkal, and seized a stock of snake venom near the RMS office near the railway station on Saturday evening.

The contraband seized

On further investigation, they were found to possess an unauthorized rifle, a knife and ammunition in their Qualis car.  The snake venom, used for medicinal purposes esp in sleep-inducing drugs, is said to fetch a sum of Rs 50 lac in the international market. They were said to be waiting for a customer who was to collect the venom from them.

Mohammed Farhan and Mohammed Aslam

Vinayak Hebbar and Sarfaraz Sha Bandari

To have extracted the approximate volume of half a litre of venom, the persons involved may have killed about 200 reptiles, according to police estimate. This act invites the mischief of the wildlife act in force.

The names of the four arrested are given by the police as Mohammed Farhan alias Farhan Patel (27), Mohammed Aslam (61), Marukeri Vinayak Hebbar (25) and Sarfaraz Sha Bandri (22).

Search is on others who are reportedly involved in the racket.