Forest department rescues six venomous cobras in Gulistan, one arrested

The Forest Department's Wildlife Crime Control Unit has rescued six venomous monocled cobras from suspected traffickers in Dhaka's Gulistan and filed a case against one man over wildlife smuggling.

The snakes were rescued during a joint operation with the Bangladesh Animal Welfare Association in front of the Bangabazar Fire Service office this morning (7 August).

Although three people were initially detained, only Md Monir Hossain Mamun, a resident of Chandpur, was charged after investigators found evidence of his alleged involvement in snake trafficking.

The other two detainees, identified as Swapan and Abdul Kader, were released after no evidence linking them to the trafficking was found.

According to the Wildlife Crime Control Unit, a trafficking network has long been collecting venomous snakes from remote char areas in Chandpur before transporting them to different parts of the country. The snakes are reportedly collected after being spotted in the wild or caught in fishing nets, kept in captivity and later smuggled.

Acting on a tip-off, officials carried out surveillance in the Sadarghat and Gulistan areas from early today before searching several suspicious individuals at the Fulbaria bus terminal in Gulistan. Six live monocled cobras were recovered during the operation.

During preliminary questioning, the detainees said the snakes had been kept in sacks for about a week before being brought to Dhaka for trafficking.

Investigators also found that Monir had been involved in snake catching for a long time. While he had previously used others to transport snake consignments, he was carrying the reptiles himself this time, according to the Wildlife Crime Control Unit.

Bangladesh Animal Welfare Association President Adnan Azad said all six rescued snakes were venomous monocled cobras estimated to be between one and seven years old.

He said the species is currently in its breeding season, making it a target for wildlife traffickers.

Wildlife Inspector Asim Mallik of the Forest Department's Wildlife Crime Control Unit said this was the first time a consignment of venomous snakes had been seized while being trafficked within Dhaka.

He said the rescued snakes had been released into Bhawal National Park after undergoing health examinations.

Preliminary findings suggest the snakes were being transported for sale to illegal snake farms operating in Bangladesh, while efforts are under way to identify other members of the trafficking network, he added.