Sand boa racket busted in Nellore, seven arrested DECCAN CHRONICLE. Updated Jan 9, 2021, 12:42 pm IST A single sand boa costs about Rs. 70 lakh and it finds usage in fashion industry, black magic and making certain medicines The team also rescued the reptile and seized two laptops, two cars and eight mobile phones from the gang members. — inaturalist.org TIRUPATI: Forest department officials of Nellore district, in a joint operation with Central Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, South India region, have busted an inter-state gang involved in illegal trade of red sand boas and arrested seven persons, apart from rescuing a reptile. District forest officer (DFO) Shanmukha Kumar said, “A team led by B. Rajendra Prasad, forest range officer of Venkatagiri, and Sk. Rangeswaran, circle inspector, Wildlife Crime Bureau, Chennai, conducted a sting operation in the district on Friday. In the process, the team caught a gang of seven members red-handed while trading in a red sand boa on Chennai-Kolkata National Highway at Naidupeta,” the DFO explained.