Mumbai: The Marine Drive City Police on Thursday arrested a person for trying to sell ambergris illegally at the Oberoi Hotel here. The officials recovered 2.619 grams of ambergris worth Rs 2 crore 60 lakh from the accused. They further confirmed that the accused is a 25-year-old, ascertained to be from Dapoli in Maharashtra.
Ambergris is a valuable substance acquired from sperm whales -- an endangered species in India. Its sale is therefore prohibited in the country as the species is protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
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The arrest was made after the officials received a tip-off from an anonymous source. A joint team of officials from the local police and forest department reached Oberoi hotel after receiving the information. The police had two suspects, as informed by the undercover informant. However, one of the suspects escaped during the operation.
The forest department officials confirmed that the material is ambergris -- which is an excellent component to retain perfumes for longer periods -- and has confiscated it. Further investigation into the matter is underway.
