Ambergris worth Rs 5 crore seized in Maha; 3 persons held

Police on Wednesday said they have seized ambergris, a banned marine substance commonly called whale vomit or grey amber, worth nearly Rs 5 crore in the illicit market and arrested three persons in Maharashtra's Raigad district.

The arrests and seizure were made at Kashid in Murud taluka on Tuesday after the Crime Branch laid a trap following a tip-off, police said.

Nearly 5 kg of ambergris, valued at around Rs 5 crore, was seized from three persons who were travelling on a motorcycle, they said.

The trio was arrested and booked under the Wildlife Protection Act, the police said.

Sale or possession of the marine material is banned under forest and environmental laws.

Ambergris, listed in Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, is an expensive material which is used as a prime ingredient in high-end perfumery and manufacture of medicines, among others.