More ambergris seized near Talaja, two booked
This is the fourth large ambergris seizure since Nov in the Mahuva and Talaja areas.
The suspected ambergris has been handed over to the forest department for legal action under the Wildlife Protection Act.
The accused, Kisan Bariya (32) and Dinesh Dolasiya (36), told police they found the material along the shore at Gopnath while fishing. Authorities say that in total, the material seized in four cases since Nov was valued at Rs 20 crore.
Ambergris is a rare, waxy substance formed in the digestive tracts of some sperm whales and is used in the perfume and cosmetics industries.
Although whales can expel it naturally, it has sometimes been obtained by killing them. In India, possession or trade of ambergris is illegal because sperm whales are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act.
Forest officials, however, suspect that the recent surge in seizures may be linked to a racket involving the sale of counterfeit ambergris. "Chargesheets are yet to be filed in all three previous cases and the test report from the first seizure in Nov was inconclusive," said a senior forest official of Shetrunji division.
According to forest department sources, ambergris is extremely rare and hard to find in such quantities. Social media hype over its high value has reportedly fuelled scams where fake ambergris is passed off to unsuspecting buyers.
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