Dapoli Customs seize whale vomit worth crores; arrest four
Mumbai Customs seized over 4.8kg of ambergris in a crackdown on illegal wildlife trade, arresting four men involved in trafficking.
MUMBAI: In a major crackdown on illegal wildlife trade, officers of the Dapoli Customs Division have seized over 4.8kg of ambergris, commonly known as whale vomit, during an early morning operation on October 17. The sale of the contraband, a rare and highly valued substance used in high-end perfumes, violates the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

A special team from the Customs Department launched a targeted search operation, chased down a Maruti Wagon R, and intercepted it near the Dapoli ST stand. Upon inspection, officers found the white-to-light-brown solid substance weighing 4 kilograms and 833 grams. Four men -- Yuvaraj Kashinath More, 49, Sanjay Bhiku Dhopte, 36, Nilesh Harishchandra Salvi, 39, and Siraj Shaikh, 38 -- were arrested.
Superintendent of Customs (preventive and intelligence) Atul V Potdar, assisted by a team of eight, led the operation. In addition to seizing the vehicle used for transportation, officials detained four individuals allegedly involved in the possession and trafficking of the prohibited substance. They also recovered several incriminating documents and electronic devices during the operation.
The arrested suspects and the seized material were produced before the Judicial Magistrate, Dapoli, who has remanded all four accused in judicial custody. The case has been referred to the Maharashtra Forest Department and Wildlife Preservation authorities for further investigation.
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