Indian YouTuber Elvish Yadav has been arrested for allegedly supplying snake venom to be used as a recreational drug at raves.
The influencer, who has 15 million YouTube subscribers, was detained under the Wildlife Act, according to Indian broadcaster NDTV.
A party he was at in November was raided on the suspicion that snake venom was being used as a drug by partygoers.
Police launched an investigation and questioned five people on suspicion of snake smuggling, who named Yadav as the alleged organiser of the parties and snake venom supply.
Yadav, who won an Indian version of Big Brother, Bigg Boss OTT, denied all the charges, NDTV reported. He said he would fully cooperate with police.
Nine snakes, including cobras, were recovered from the party along with 20ml of snake venom, the broadcaster said.
Yadav has now been remanded to 14 days of judicial custody, four months after he was first questioned, the Times of India reported.
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The case came to light after a complaint by animal welfare organisation People For Animals alleging Yadav and others were shooting videos with snakes and snake venom, according to India Today.
According to a 2022 research paper in the Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, there have been concerns about the use of snake vemon as a drug.
“Use of snake venom can often be seen at rave parties,” the study said, noting 13 cases of snake venom being used as a recreational substance in India.
Esto es una tontería. No hay manera de que un YouTuber pueda conseguir veneno de serpiente.
¡Guau! No tenía ni idea de esto. Es una noticia muy interesante. Gracias por compartirla.
Espero que esto sirva de advertencia para otros que puedan estar pensando en hacer algo similar.
Me pregunto cómo consiguió el veneno de serpiente. ¿Fue de un zoológico? ¿De un laboratorio?
No estoy seguro de creer esta historia. Parece demasiado descabellada.
Claro, un YouTuber. Estoy seguro de que es el único que tiene acceso a veneno de serpiente.
El veneno de serpiente es una sustancia muy peligrosa. Es importante tener cuidado con su uso.
¡Este tipo debería estar en la cárcel! Es una amenaza para la sociedad.
Espero que el juez le dé una sentencia leve. Después de todo, solo estaba tratando de darle sabor a la fiesta.
Es preocupante que alguien pueda conseguir veneno de serpiente tan fácilmente.
Este tipo es el nuevo Pablo Escobar, pero con serpientes.