LUCKNOW, March 1 -- The UP Special Task Force (STF), in a joint operation with the state forest department, arrested three alleged wildlife traffickers in Mirzapur district. Officials said they recovered a rare red sand boa snake and pangolin skin worth about Rs.1 crore in the international illegal market. According to a press note issued on Saturday, the arrests were made near the Shani Dev temple in Narayanpur under the Adalhat police station limits of Mirzapur. The accused have been identified as Umar Farooq from Varanasi, Azharuddin Ahmed from Kolkata in West Bengal, and Ram Prakash Pathak from Narayanpur in Mirzapur. The STF recovered one red sand boa and about two kilograms of pangolin skin. Mobile phones and other materials were also seized. Officials said both species are protected under wildlife protection laws, and their hunting and trade are strictly banned. Preliminary investigation showed that pangolin scales are often used in traditional medicine and cosmetic products. This creates high demand in illegal international markets. Investigators said the accused were transporting the wildlife items from Bihar and attempting to move them through Mirzapur when they were caught....