Whale vomit worth Rs 10 crore seized at Sanguem

Margao: Sanguem police on Friday arrested three persons and seized nearly 6kg of ambergris, commonly known as whale vomit, valued at over Rs 10 crore. Police sources said that acting on a tip-off, a trap was laid at Dabamal, Sanguem.

This led to the arrest of Sainath Shet, 50, from Ponda, Ratuakant Karapurkar, 55, from Zuarinagar, and Vegesh Redkar, 40, from Sawantwadi, after they were found to possess ambergris.A waxy substance produced in sperm whales’ digestive systems, ambergris is highly valued in the perfume industry. However, its sale and possession are prohibited in India under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, as it is considered a derivative from protected marine mammals.The three men were charged under Sections 39, 44, 49B, and 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Police said that the suspects intended to trade the ambergris for monetary gain without possessing any authorisation.The operation also resulted in the attachment of two vehicles that were allegedly used in the transportation. Following their arrest, all three accused were remanded to four days in police custody.Police said the investigation is aimed at uncovering the broader network involved in the illegal trade.

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