Goa police recover whale vomit valued at Rs 10 crore, three arrested
Sperm whales are protected under Schedule II of Wildlife Protection Act, meaning any trade or possession of their byproducts is prohibited in India
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The police have recovered whale vomit, or ambergris, valued at about Rs 10 crore from three persons in South Goa, an official said on Friday.
Acting on a tip-off, police intercepted a car in Sanguem village on Thursday and seized 5.75 kg of the waxy substance, which is used in the perfume industry, he said.
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Ambergris is produced in the intestines of sperm whales, which are protected under Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act, meaning any trade or possession of their byproducts is prohibited in India.
A police spokesperson said the whale vomit could fetch about Rs 10 crore in the international market.
The trio, identified as Sainath Shet (50) and Ratnakant Karapurkar (55) of Goa and Yogesh Redkar (40) from Sindhudurg in Maharashtra, have been arrested, he said, adding that a probe is underway to ascertain the source of the ambergris.
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