Snake venom trade 'on the rise' in region

SNS, SILIGURI, 7 MARCH 2019: Smuggling of snake venom is on the rise in north Bengal, recent seizures of the same here proved, while they also showed that the region was a good corridor for smuggling of such items.

The forest department seized 19 jars of snake venom worth more than Rs 2000 crore in the past two years in the region, while the border guarding forces have also seized three jars carrying the venom in the same period. The Border Security Force (BSF) had seized powdered-form of the venom stored in a jar in Malda on 3 March.

According to experts, snake venom is used for medicinal purposes as it contains many biologically active ingredients that may be useful to treat diseases. Phospholipases type A2 {PLA2s} from the Tunisian vipers Cerastes cerastes and Macrovipera lebetina has been found to have anti-tumour activity. Other compounds in the snake venom are also allegedly useful in anti-cancer activity.

The several past seizures have showed that the venom in different forms such as liquid, crystal, powder, globules and other tentative forms is mostly smuggled in jars made in France.

'The venom is usually smuggled into Bengal via Bangladesh before being sent to other states and countries, especially China and Nepal," sources have said.

Forest officials said all the seized venom (in 19 jars) had been sent for forensic tests at the Haffkine Institute for Training, Research and Testing in Mumbai.

"In the year 2016-2017, the forest department seized 19 jars of snake venom and arrested 35 persons from Siliguri, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur and Jalpaiguri areas. The jars used to store the venom are made in France," officer of the special task force at north Bengal of the forest department, Sanjay Dutta, said.

Meanwhile, the Sashastra Seema Bal, which guards the Indo -Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders, has seized three jars in the past two years and arrested three persons from Panitanki, along the Indo Nepal border near Siliguri.

"Two jars of snake venom stored in a liquid form were seized from the IndoNepal border in the last two years, while in the recent seizure, one jar of snake venom stored in a crystalised form was seized from the Indo-Nepal border," an SSB official said.

According to officials, the seizures show that there has been a steady rise in the smuggling of snake venom in the region.