Ambergris worth Rs 26 crore seized from Odalbakra in Guwahati

 STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: A team of the Divisional Preventive Force of Guwahati Customs Division seized 11.56 kg of a solid wax inflammable substance, dull greyish, blackish in colour, suspected to be ambergris, commonly known as whale vomit, from Odalbakra in Guwahati on Sunday. The estimated value of the suspected ambergris is Rs 26.91 crore in the international market.

Ambergris, also called floating gold, is produced in the digestive system of sperm whales and is grey to blackish in colour. It is found usually on the sea coasts of Maldives, China, Japan, India, South Africa, Brazil, Madagascar, Australia, and New Zealand. It is used in the perfume market, especially to create fragrances like musk. Ambrein, an odourless alcohol, is also extracted from ambergris. In India, both the sale and possession of ambergris are illegal under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

According to sources, four persons have been arrested in this connection. Three of the arrested persons are from Mizoram while one is from Assam. The ambergris had been brought from Myanmar. The four arrested persons were staying in a rented house in Odalbakra and were on the lookout for potential customers to sell the ambergris.

Sources further said that in India, ambergris seizures are usually made in south India, Mumbai and other coastal areas. This is perhaps the first time that ambergris has been seized in Northeast India.

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