Shillong, May 21: A ring has been busted by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) which used to smuggle whale vomit. DRI seized 18.1 Kg of whale vomit worth Rs 31.67 crore in the international market.
On the evening of May 18, DRI officers responded to a tip and stopped a car carrying five passengers close to Tuticorin’s Harbour Beach in Tamil Nadu. The police searched the car, found 18.1 kg of ambergris, and took it into custody.
The five persons later admitted to being a part of the smuggling ring.
The material ambergris is generated from sperm whales, which are listed under Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 as protected species. Ambergris is completely forbidden to own, export, or transport.
To stop these attempts at smuggling and protect the country’s flora and fauna, the DRI has increased its vigilance and surveillance in coastal areas.
The DRI has confiscated a total of 40.52 kg of ambergris over the past two years that were destined to be smuggled out of India from the Tuticorin coast and are worth Rs 54 crores on the international market.