Smuggling of Snake Venoms

The Border Security Force on the vast but porous Indo-Bangladesh border seizes different types of commodities from gold to vegetables. But recently the BSF caught something exceptional - a jar with 2.14 kg of snake venom, valued at about 17 crore rupees in the international market.

The venom was neatly packed in a crystal jar. The container was hidden amidst wild grass under a culvert in Kalibadi village that falls in Dakshin Dinajpur district of West Bengal close to the North Eastern region. The jar had a tag hanging around  it  with  ‘Cobra SP,  Red  Dragon,  made in France Code No: 6097’ scribbled on a yellow metal plate.

Apparently, there is a market for snake venom in India and abroad as it is used in traditional Indian and Chinese medicines as well as at rave parties as an aphrodisiac. Indian Journal of Mental Health also chronicled the growing abuse of snake venom in rave parties for getting high.

According to BSF, smuggling of snake venoms in dry, gelatine, and liquid forms has picked up since 2017 with a lull period during pandemic. But it again picked up soon after the pandemic and continues till date.

The BSF  had  questioned one person and he claimed to be a mere courier and would get 5,000 to 10,000 rupees  per  consignment. He disclosed that between 100 to 150 jars were kept in Bangladesh for smuggling into India through the porous border.

During a forensic examination of a consignment in the past, a BSF officer recalled, the venom sample had traces of three snakes — Cobra, Russell Viper, and Saw Scale Viper — and was also adulterated with a neutral compound. But no one could decode the tag attached to the jar.