Kolhapur: Personnel from the branch of local crime and the forestry department on Thursday night seized 3,4kg ambergris, commonly called Pope vomiting or Amber gray, from six people from Sangli.
All six people were arrested and investigated were about how Ambergris’s illegal trade, which was found in Kolhapur for the first time, a forest officer said on Friday.
Ambergris is mostly used to make perfumes, beauty products, and some drugs and are very popular in the international market.
Ambergris, created by sperm pope gallways, is often called “Floating Gold” because a very large price is taken in the international market for its use in luxurious perfume.
Range Forest Officer Ramesh Kamble said, “Acting on a tip-off of the gang of the active Sangli in Ambergris trade, we put a trap in Kolhapur and arrested six people during the Joint Action by the Ministry of Forestry, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and Branch of Local Crime Kolhapur.
The six people – Vishwanath Namdas, Alamshah Mullah, Rafiq Sanadi, Uday Jadhav, Kismat Nadaf and Aslam Mujawar – are all residents of the Sangli District.
“He added,” Besides Ambergris weighing 34kg, cars, two motorbikes and four cellphones confiscated from them.
The crackdown was carried out under the guidance of the Head of the Clement Ben Forest Conservator and Deputy Forest Conservator RR Kale with active support from the Warden Warden Honor to Satara Rohan Bhate.
“An official cited a preliminary investigation which showed that Ambergris might have been taken to Maharashtra Barat from the KONKAN region.