Vomit Of Whale Worth ₹2.6 Crore Found In Mumbai; Here's Why It Is So Expensive

On Wednesday, the Mumbai crime branch arrested a man for smuggling. The man was trying to smuggle Whale vomit which is worth ₹2.6 crore. Vomit, also referred to as ‘ambergris’ , ‘grey amber,’ and ‘floating gold,’ was seized by the Crime Branch. The value of this ambergris or whale vomit is very much high in the international market and that is why its smuggling takes place once in a while.

Crime Branch Busted Smuggling Of Ambergris

A man was detained by the Mumbai crime division for attempting to import whale vomit valued at 2.6 crore. According to a report by ANI, the suspect was named as Vaibhav Janardhan Kalekar. Under seven separate sections of the Wild Animal Protection Act, the Mumbai Police filed a complaint against Kalekar. Previously as well the Crime Branch has seized many other attempts of smuggling ambergris which is way more expensive than gold. Only sperm whales produce ambergris. Arabian Sea off Gujarat and Bay of Bengal off Odisha is where the sperm whales are found the most. The Wildlife Protection Act of 1927’s Schedule I includes sperm whales as an endangered species, making the selling of ambergris illegal in India.

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Ambergris Is Sold In Crores In International Market

Only sperm whales are capable of producing ambergris. The sperm whales are named so because of the waxy substance found in their heads named as ‘spermaceti’. Ambergris is a waxy substance and is also inflammable and solid in nature. Ambergris is mainly used in perfumes as it is said that the fragrance of the perfume lasts longer because of the use of ambergris. It is produced in the sperm whales’ intestine and is also at times used for medicinal purposes. The reason that only sperm whales can produce ambrein which is a compound responsible for ambergris’s origin, is why 1 kg of ambergris is sold for as much as ₹1 crore in the international market.