Balasore, Nov 30: Acting on a tip off, the Jaleswar forest department rescued five snakes along with five snake charmers from Rajnagar village jungles under Raibania police station in Jaleswar area of Balasore district today. 

They were to be sold in West Bengal at a hiked price and hence were illegally smuggled from Odisha to West Bengal. 

According to information, five snakes which included two cobras, two russell's viper and one krait were caught by the forest department. The five arrested snake charmers are residents of Burdhman area in West Bengal said the officials.