India, Bangladesh spar over source of snake venom

Pramod Giri, HT, 5 Nov 2016, SILIGURI: A blame game has started between Indian and Bangladeshi officials over the source of large quantity of snake venoms seized in two countries in the last 14 months which is priced at hundreds of crores in international smuggling market.

The state forest department has seized 11 jars of snake venom since August 31 last year and claimed that the venom was smuggled into India through Bangladesh. However, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized 12 pounds of venom from Benapole land port area on August 23 last year and claimed that the venom entered Bangladesh from India.

The seizure was just the tip of the iceberg as those involved in busting the international racket believe that 33 jars of venom are about to enter the Indian border from Bangladesh. According to sources 3 jars have already entered North Bengal.

A senior forest official involved in busting the racket said that snake venom originally from France was looted by the pirates from a ship in Somalia in 2014 before reaching Bangladesh. This started the wide scale smuggling started.

Those arrested with venom according to Sanjay Dutta, the ranger of Belacoba range of Baikantapur forest division, who led the team to seize the 11 jars of venom, were only the middlemen and carriers. The kingpins are believed to be located in Nepal and Punjab.

The amount of money involved in snake venom is huge and out of bounds for people in the eastern region. The final destination is believed to be China and the smugglers plan to use Dhaka and Kathmandu airports to push it to China. The last seizures were made from Kharibari which is near to Indo-Nepal border in Darjeeling district.

The revelation that the seized items were just a small portion of what is about to be smuggled into India came from Sudarshan Mohanta, an informer, who helped the forest department to seize the 11 jars of venom in the last 14 months.

Though forensic test of seized venom is yet to be carried out, sources said they will soon be sent to Haffkine Institute for Training, Research and Testing in Mumbai. According to an officer, sending the venom to Mumbai is a cumbersome and costly venture as it requires tight security and large amount of money.

The forest department has transferred Swapan Kumar Majhi, the ranger of Jaldapara Wildlife Division and attached him to the additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests.