Konkan Railway Police Seize Rs 5.60 Crore Worth of Whale Vomit in Joint Operation

Panjim: In a collaborative operation, the Konkan Railway Police and Railway Protection Force (RPF) apprehended two individuals and confiscated ‘whale vomit’ (Ambergris) worth Rs 5.60 crore.

The arrested individuals, Arun (30) and Nibin Varghese (29), both from Kerala, were detained based on information received by RPF Inspector Vinod Mishra in Madgaon.

Ambergris, a valuable substance for perfume makers, is derived from the intestines of whales. The accused planned to transport the seized whale vomit to Madurai, Tamil Nadu. They had stored the substance in Mapusa, North Goa, after obtaining it from Mysuru, Karnataka, five months earlier.

Despite being a protected species, sperm whales are hunted for Ambergris, which is illegal under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The arrested duo is now in police custody for five days.