'Operation Viper' catches nearly 200 highly illegal, potentially deadly snakes in Georgia

ATLANTA - A multi-state poisonous snake sting has stopped the trading and transport of 24 of the deadliest serpent species through the state of Georgia.

"Operation Viper" netted nearly 200 snakes being bought or sold from undercover officers with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission over the last three years.

Some of those species include the inland taipan, bushmaster, rhinoceros viper, African bush viper, Gaboon viper, green mamba, eyelash viper, multiple species of spitting cobra, forest cobra, puff adder and saw-scaled vipers.

Several of those snakes appear on the top ten deadliest snakes list with no anti-venom for the treatment of snake bites for several of the species available in Georgia.

Timothy James Gould, 38, of Central City, Pennsylvania, was arrested in Georgia on several felony and misdemeanor charges.

Investigators say Gould would advertise on a popular online marketplace for wildlife dealers.

When he was arrested, he had 27 exotic venomous snakes in his possession, investigators say. All were illegal to possess.

Seven other people were taken into custody by authorities in Florida.

Wildlife trafficking ranks fourth behind drugs, weapons, and humans in global activity according to the Georgia DNR. The Wildlife Conservation Society estimates illicit wildlife trafficking to be between $7.8 billion and $10 billion per year.

FOX 13 Tampa Bay contributed to this article