Six held in Vadodara with whale vomit worth ₹1.58 cr

Six individuals were arrested near Vadodara’s Bill Canal Road in possession of ₹1.58 crore worth of Ambergris (whale vomit).

After receiving a tip-off, Vadodara Zone 2 LCB raided a location near Canal Road along with the Forest Department and Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) officials.

The police seized illegal whale vomit worth ₹1.58 crore, six mobile phones and a car, bringing the total worth of seized valuables to ₹1.65 crore.

Arrested individuals include– 

Suresh Chavda

Gautam Vasava

Dipak Rabari

Siddharth alias Sunny Bharwad

Raju alias Sanjay Bharwad

Suraj Singh Kaboj

What is whale vomit? Why is it so valuable?

Ambergris is a rare, waxy substance produced in the intestines of sperm whales, which are protected under Schedule I of the Act. It forms when the whale's digestive system coats sharp objects (like squid beaks) in a protective fatty material. 

Rather than being actual whale vomit, ambergris is occasionally expelled through the whale’s faeces and floats in the ocean, where it hardens over time. 

Because it’s so rare and has a distinct musky smell, it can sell for tens of thousands of dollars per kilogram and is used in luxury perfumes and traditional medicine. 

Even if ambergris is collected from the ocean and not taken from a killed whale, the law treats it as a wildlife product, and its trade is considered illegal. The trade incentivizes illegal hunting or exploitation of whales.