Maha: Ambergris worth Rs 4.30 cr seized from Thane duo

Ambergris or grey amber estimated to be worth Rs 4.30 crore in the illicit market was seized from two people in Ghodbunder area of Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Friday.

Acting on a tip off, a Crime Branch Unit V team intercepted a two-wheeler at an old octroi post in Ghodbunder on Thursday evening and made the seizure, Senior Inspector Vikas Ghodke said.

''We seized 4.1 kilograms of ambergris worth Rs 4.30 crore from the duo. A case under Wildlife Protection Act has been lodged and Kasarwadavli police is probing further,'' he informed.

Ambergris, found in the intestine of the sperm whale, is listed in Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act and is highly priced as a prime ingredient in high-end perfumery, manufacture of medicines etc.