4 arrested in UP with ambergris worth Rs 10 cr

Lucknow, Sep 7 (IANS) The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) and the state forest department have seized ambergris -- a solid waxy substance originating in the intestine of the whale -- worth Rs 10 crore and arrested four persons in connection.

STF sleuths posed as customers and requested the alleged accused to deliver goods at their doorstep.

In a statement, the STF said that Firoz Ahmad, Danish Akhtar, Avanish Kharwar and Abhay Kharwar were arrested from Janeshwar Mishra park.

They were involved in smuggling of ambergris which is prohibited under the Wildlife Act of 1972.

The STF said that the price of 1 kg ambergris is Rs 2 crore in the international market. The accused were found to be in possession of 4.2 kg.

ASP, STF, Vishal Vikram Singh said that during interrogation the accused revealed that one Tufael, a resident of Mumbai, had asked Firoz of Pratapgarh to sell ambergris which he had found on the shore.

"Firoz roped in his friends which include Danish Akhtar, Avanish Kharwar and Abhay Kharwar," said Singh.

Firoz gave an advertisement about the same online, with the code 'High-end SUV', on social media.

The STF said that they were alerted by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) about this suspicious advertisement.

Most of the animals or their skin sold online have code words like double engine, scooter, four-wheeler, pipe, aaloo (potato), pyaaz (onion), dhariwala chaddar and chhota dhariwala chaddar.

An officer said that WCCB alerted them and the forest department about the deal as the seller belonged to Pratapgarh.

"In coordination with the STF, we laid a trap and posed as a perfumes manufacturer based in the middle east but asked them to meet us with a sample at Janeshwar Mishra park. One of the accused, Danish, came with a small sample and was held," said Ravi  Kumar Singh, Lucknow DFO.

He was nabbed and a call was made that the deal was done so others with the consignment were asked to come for the deal and were arrested.

Ambergris is derived from the old French words Amber and Gris, which means grey amber, although it is commonly referred to as whale vomit. 

The substance is created by the bile duct in the intestines of the sperm whale secreting bile and it is frequently discovered floating on the water or washing up on the coastlines. 

Ambergris can be found in the stomachs of dead sperm whales.

Ambergris is traditionally used as a fixative in the perfume industry, highly prized due to its ability to 'fix' a scent on the human skin.