Karnataka forest squad arrest four, seizes 15kg ambergris

All the four were travelling in a car from Kerala to Bengaluru carrying the ambergris concealed in a bag.

Image used for representational purpose only.

MYSURU: Sleuths of the Kollegal CID Forest Mobile Squad have arrested four persons including a woman and seized around 15 kg of ambergris (whale vomit) worth crores of rupees from them. 

The arrested were identified as Samsudeen (48), Tressaimma Varghese (55) and Saji Subhas (41) from Kerala and K B Virupaksha from Tiptur taluk in Tumakuru district.

All the four were travelling in a car from Kerala to Bengaluru carrying the ambergris concealed in a bag. However, they stopped the car near the Kollegal bus stand to have food, when the investigators who were tipped off about ambergris smuggling, conducted the raid and arrested the accused.  The squad registered a case under various sections of the Wildlife Protection Act, of 1972.