Maharashtra / Mumbai : Police confiscated whale vomit worth Rs 2.67 crore, know why ambergris is so expensive
Police on Wednesday arrested a person in Mumbai. Whale vomit has been recovered from him, which is worth 2.67 crores. Whale vomit is also called ambergris or gray amber. It is a banned marine substance. Police said that the accused was nabbed from patient drive. He has been sent to jail.
Police said that 25-year-old Vaibhav Kalekar was arrested by the crime branch of Mumbai Police near Trident Hotel in South Mumbai. “He was arrested on the basis of a tip-off that he was trying to sell ambergris illegally. During the search, the officers found him carrying 2.6 kg of ambergris.
Where did the crores of ambergris come from?
Police said it is suspected that they had bought it from Dapoli in Ratnagiri district, where some whales were found dead a few months back. He said the accused, a resident of Ratnagiri, has been arrested under relevant sections of the Wildlife (Protection) Act and further investigation is on.
That’s why ambergris is banned
The sale of ambergris is prohibited in India because sperm whales, an endangered species, are protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1927. Sperm whales are said to be found mostly in the Arabian Sea of Gujarat and the Bay of Bengal from Odisha.
How is ambergris
Ambergris is a solid, wax-like flammable substance. It is light gray or black in colour. It is found in the intestines of the sperm well. Under water, well fish eat many such creatures that have sharp beaks and shells. Ambergris is important so that the inside of the well does not get hurt when eating them. To extract it, smugglers sometimes kill the well, which is already included in the endangered species.
Demand in the perfume industry
Ambergris is used in the perfume industry. The alcohol present in it is used to make expensive brands perfume. With its help, the smell of perfume can be retained for a long time. Because of this, its price is very high. Even scientists have named it floating gold.
