Police have arrested a man and seized from him two sand boa snakes, worth around Rs 45 lakh, in Thane district of Maharashtra, an official said.
Officials of the property cell of the city police's crime branch arrested the accused, identified as Sujit Mohan Ghamandli, 39, at Khambalpada near Thakurli in the district on September 8, he said.
Acting on a tip-off that a man would be coming to Khambalpada, carrying with him a sand boa, the officials laid a trap and nabbed him when he was found loitering in the area suspiciously with a sack on his back, an official release said.
During a search, two sand boas, collectively worth Rs 45 lakh, were recovered from him, it said.
While one snake weighed over one kg, another weighed 800 grams, police said.
These non-venomous snakes are used in making certain medicines, cosmetics and in black magic, and are in huge demand in the international market, they added.
An offence was registered under the Wildlife (Protection) Act against the man in this connection at Dombivli police station, police said.
