Whale vomit worth Rs 10 cr seized in UP. Why is ambergris so costly?

Rate this post

Ambergris, or whale vomit, worth nearly Rs 10 crore have been seized by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) and the state forest department in Lucknow.

STF sleuths posed as customers and requested four accused – Firoz Ahmad, Danish Akhtar, Avanish Kharwar and Abhay Kharwar – to deliver goods at their doorstep, IANS reported. The four were arrested from the Janeshwar Mishra park.

The STF seized 4.2 kg of ambergris, which goes at more than Rs 2 crore a kg in the international market.

What is ambergris

Ambergris, or whale vomit, is a solid waxy substance originating in the intestine of the whale, and it is frequently discovered floating on the water or washing up on the coasts. It can also be found in the stomachs of dead sperm whales.

Freshly produced ambergris has a fecal odor, but acquires a sweet, earthy scent as it ages. It is highly valued by perfume makers as a fixative that allows the scent to endure much longer,

The name ‘ambergris’ is derived from the old French words Amber and Gris, which means grey amber.

How they were caught

The STF said the accused wanted to sell ambergris they got from a person in Mumbai, and so placed an ad online about a ‘high-end SUV’ on sale.

The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) got suspicious about this ad – that is because ads for sales of illegal wildlife skin or organs online have code words like double engine, scooter, four-wheeler, pipe, aloo, pyaaz etc.

WCCB then alerted the UPSTF and the forest department about the deal as the seller belonged to Pratapgarh. The STF personnel then posed as customers and seized the four accused.

  • Front Page
  • Pure Politics
  • Companies & Economy
  • Around the World & Sports
  • More
  • D-Street Indices Extend Losses for Fourth Day

    Indian shares retreated on Tuesday, extending losses for the fourth straight session amid a selloff in global equities with investors panicking that the fallout from the collapse of two American banks may have a ripple effect on the world economy.

    Summer Rush: Consumer Cos’ Production in Top Gear

    For the first time in 18 months, consumer goods companies are ramping up production — anticipating a pick-up in demand — particularly for ‘summer products’ due to higher-than-usual temperatures.

    Govt Urges SVB-hit Cos to Bank Locally

    Domestic startups must “trust the Indian banking system more,” according to top lawmaker Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who also assured them of the Centre’s support to “navigate” the fallout from the abrupt collapse of US lender Silicon Valley Bank (SVB).

Read More News on

Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.

ETPrime stories of the day

You are viewing this post: Whale vomit worth Rs 10 cr seized in UP. Why is ambergris so costly?. Information curated and compiled by Kayaknv.com along with other related topics.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here