‘Cobra Venom’: Six accused in Forest custody, officials say they are only couriers

The forest officials in Siliguri are still undecided regarding chemical and forensic examination of the cobra venom seized. The venom is believed to be from a cobra but chemical tests are being conducted to identify the snake species, Pradhan said, and informed that the recent incident is different from the 2014 case when the officials had also seized snake venom found in North Bengal but then the consignment was found in small quantity packed in gunny sacks, unlike those in this case where the venom had evidently undergone heavy processing and had come from very sophisticated sources.

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The glass containers are stamped with “Made in France”, Pradhan said, and added that the quantity is more puzzling as such a huge quantity would be more than a particular country’s annual requirement.

However, the absence of a dedicated investigative wing to deal with such cases is now being felt more acutely than even before. The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Azam Zaidi said that recently the State Wildlife Advisory Board had adopted a resolution giving the go-ahead for setting up of a Wildlife Crime Control Bureau.

The multi-agency platform would exclusively look into trade, smuggling and clandestine dealings in wildlife items. A similar body exists at the national level with regional branches in some places but the State Forest Department felt the need to have its own Crime Control Bureau, said the PCCF.

Wildlife experts say illegal trade of snake venom and skin is widespread with frequent recoveries reported across the country.

Extracted venom is mostly used as an antidote for snake bites, which according to World Health Organization kill an estimated half a million people globally every year.