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The crime branch of Maharashtra’s Pimpri Chinchwad police has recovered 550 grams of ambergris, also known as whale vomit, from two accused who were arrested while trying to sell it in Pune. The seizure is reported to be more than Rs 1.1 crore. As per the Indian Express, a team of Unit 1of the Crime Branch has received input on December 6 about a person trying to sell ambergris.
The intel stated that the person was coming to an area near the Moshi Tollbooth in Pimpri-Chinchwad to sell the rare substance. Based on the inputs, the police laid down a trap and sent a decoy customer to purchase the rare substance.
The exercise resulted in the detention of a man identified as John Sunil Sathe, found in possession of a red-brownish substance. The seized substance was then sent to forest department officials who ascertained it as ambergris after tests.
Soon after the confirmation, Sathe was arrested and the police team launched an investigation into the case. Interrogation led to the arrest of another accused Ajit Hukumchand Bagmar who had originally supplied the ambergris to Sathe. The efforts to arrest a third suspect who sent the ambergris to Bagmar by courier was still underway.
Ambergris, commonly known as whale’s vomit is a waxy substance that originates from the digestive system of the protected Sperm Whales which are a protected species under Schedule 2 of the Wildlife Protection Act. Hence the possession or trade of any of its by-products, including ambergris, is illegal. Ambergris are very expensive and are used in the production of high-end perfumes. The characteristics of the substances help the perfumes to last longer when applied.
Earlier in a similar seizure, Thane police had arrested two people who were attempting to sell ambergris worth Rs 2 crore in the market. This arrest was also done on intel inputs and the police team had laid a trap to nab the accused who were coming to a hotel with the ambergris.
