Aizawl, Feb 17 (IANS): The Assam Rifles arrested four people and recovered six endangered Burmese pythons from their possession after these exotic animals were smuggled in Mizoram from neighbouring Myanmar, officials said on Friday.

Officials said that the troops acting on secret information launched raids at the border town Zokhawthar in Champhai district and arrested the four before recovering the six endangered Burmese pythons from their possession.

The recovered exotic animals were handed over to the forest department for further legal proceedings.

"Ongoing smuggling of exotic animals is a major cause of concern for the state of Mizoram, especially along the India-Myanmar border. Assam Rifles, rightly christened as the 'Sentinels of Northeast' have continued their efforts against the smuggling activities in Mizoram," an official statement said.

According to the wildlife experts, the Burmese python is one of the largest species of snakes.

These rare snakes are available in Southeast Asia and are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) red list.

Until 2009, it was considered a subspecies of the Indian python, but is now recognized as a distinct species.

The 1,643 km long India-Myanmar unfenced border with four northeastern states, including Mizoram, which is not only a hotspot for illegal trade and smuggling of various highly addictive drugs, gold, arms and ammunition and other contraband worth thousands of crores of rupees, has also turned an infamous corridor for smuggling of endangered and exotic animals from Myanmar.

Eastern Mizoram's Champhai district bordering Myanmar and Moreh in Chandel district in southern Manipur are the two main routes for the clandestine trade of both drugs and wild animals.