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

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.

Smuggling of ambergris is prohibited under the Wildlife Act of 1972. It's also illegal in countries like the United States and Australia.

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.