Mahabaleshwar(Maharashtra): Four members of a gang, including a former Mahabaleshwar Municipality corporator, were arrested in a midnight raid in Maharashtra's Mahabaleshwar for smuggling ambergris (whale vomit), officials said on Tuesday. During the raid, the Satara Forest Department seized 6.5 kg of whale vomit worth Rs 6 crore in Mahabaleshwar.
The value of the ambergris has been estimated at Rs 1.5 crore per kg in the international market. The four arrested accused have been identified as former Mahabaleshwar corporator Prakash Ramchandra Patil, Sanjay Jairam Surve, a resident of Medha of Javali district, Anil Arjun Omble, a resident of Bondarwadi, and Santosh Khushalchandra Jain, a resident of Nisarga Vihar of Ratnagiri.
Also read: Assam: BSF foils smuggling bid across India-Bangladesh border, cattle smuggler killed in encounter
Mahabaleshwar Range Forest Officer Mahangde under the guidance of Aditi Bharadwaj, Sub-Conservator of Forests of Satara Mahesh Zanjurne, Assistant Conservator of Forests carried out the raid on Monday night. Last week, three people from Mahabaleshwar were arrested by the MHB Colony police in Mumbai for selling tiger skins and claws. A tiger skin worth lakhs of rupees and 12 nails worth Rs 10.6 lakhs were seized from them.
Earlier, Bengaluru Air Customs officials arrested a passenger smuggling 234 endangered wild animals from Bangkok. Sources said that the arrest was made on August 21 night. It is learnt that the passenger landed at Devanahalli Kempegowda International Airport on August 21 night on flight number FD-137 from Bangkok.
