Lakhimpur Kheri (UP), Aug 6 (IANS): Four persons have been arrested from near the Dudhwa forest area while trying to smuggle a Red Sand Boa snake.

The accused belong to Delhi and told police that they had purchased the sand boa from a local snake charmer in Kheri for Rs 10 lakh and were trying to smuggle it to Mumbai, where they planned to sell it for Rs 50 lakh.

Sanjay Tyagi, SHO of Isanagar police station, said the accused -- Shalu Kashyap, Mukesh Kashyap, Sandeep Singhla – are businessmen, and Afsar is their driver.

The SHO said, "Police had set up pickets after a tip-off that some people were trying to smuggle a Red Sand Boa from Dudhwa. While checking vehicles, the snake was found in a wooden box in the SUV. All four men in the vehicle were taken into custody in the wee hours of Thursday and booked under the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act. The snake has been handed over to the forest department."

The Red Sand Boa is a non-venomous species known for its blunt rounded tail, which often gives it the appearance of being double-headed.

It is classified as "near threatened" by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Due to their "double-headed" appearance, these snakes are associated with myths and superstitions and hence attract a high price in China and several South Asian countries.