Baripada, Sept. 1: Officials of the Mayurbhanj wildlife division today arrested five persons, who had trapped 11 snakes from the Similipal sanctuary and its adjoining areas.

Acting on a tip-off, a wildlife team, headed by warden Bhanumitra Acharya, nabbed the accused after intercepting them at Baripada bus terminal. The accused were going to board a Keonjhar-bound bus. They are being interrogated at the Pithabata range office.

The accused, hailing from Bannar in Khamara police limits of Angul district, have been identified as Amrut Bhoi, 25, Thakulu Bhoi, 45, Dhusa Bhoi, 52, Tukuru Bhoi, 29, and Lalit Bhoi, 42.

The officials have rescued five spectacled cobras, three monocled cobras, two forest cat snakes and one common cat snake from them. The rescued reptiles are two and three years, and some of them are highly venomous. The accused have, however, removed the venom gland of the reptiles.

During interrogation, it surfaced that the group, belonging to a snake charmer community, had camped in Mayurbhanj, along with their families, for about two months only to catch venomous snakes. They had planned to sell the reptiles to other snake charmers of their community in Angul and other districts.

Wildlife activist Abhisek Acharya said: "These snakes have been caught recently by the accused persons."

Local forest range officer Ramakanta Majhi said: "These snakes are scheduled reptiles. The accused persons would be forwarded to court after being booked under the Wildlife Protection Act."

"We will try to ascertain whether they have any external link in snake trafficking. The snakes would be released in the forest," he said.