Man caught selling whale vomit worth Rs 2 crore to make perfumes

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A 53-year-old man was arrested by Mumbai police on Saturday for allegedly trying to sell 1kg of whale fish vomit valued around Rs 1.70 crore. ‘Whale vomit' also known as ambergris is a wax that originates as a secretion in the intestines of the sperm whale and is used to manufacture perfumes. According to the Times of India, the accused identified as Rahul Krishna Duphare, tried to sell the whale vomit near Vidyavihar railway station, stated an official from Ghatkopar police station. A police team that had got a tip searched him and found 1kg 130 gm of the stone-like material.

Also read: Fishermen rescue 18-20 foot-long whale shark from net, release it in sea

In another incident, an extremely rare lump of whale vomit found by a dog walker on a beach in the UK is expected to fetch 7,000 pounds at the first auction of its kind. The chunk of ambergris - a waxy rock-like substance that can prolong the scent of perfume - was found washed up on the shore at Anglesey, north Wales, earlier this year. The ambergris, that measures 8 inches by 6 inches and weighs 1.1 kg, could have been floating in the sea for decades before it came ashore.

The substance is used in the perfumery industry and has sold for thousands of pounds privately before. "Our vendor was out walking his dog when it ran over to this object and wouldn't leave it alone," said Chris Surfleet, senior valuer and auctioneer. "He took it home, did a bit of research and suspected it was ambergris and knew it had value so came to us. We are 100 per cent certain it is ambergris. "A number of people with experience with ambergris have studied it who have confirmed it," he said.

Also Read: London: Man walking on beach strikes it rich with 1.1 kg chunk of whale vomit

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