Three arrested under Wildlife Protection Act in Sanguem; seized ambergris destined for international perfume market
6 June 2025, Goa
Goa Police intercepted a car in Sanguem village, recovering 5.75 kilograms of ambergris commonly known as “whale vomit” valued at approximately ₹10 crore on the international market.
Ambergris is a super rare, waxy substance that is created in the digestive tract of sperm whales. It has become a sought after ingredient in high-end perfumes because it is known to last for a long time, and it is often called “floating gold.” Despite ambergris being a natural product, in India, ambergris possession, sale or trade is illegal under Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Once police received information from a source stating that a group of people were trafficking ambergris, police were able to arrest these three individuals. The three individuals are accused to be smugglers from Goa, Sainath Shet (50) and Ratnakant Karapurkar (55) and a third person Yogesh Redkar (40), from Sindhudurg, Maharashtra. They have all been charged under the Wildlife Protection Act, and an in-depth investigation is ongoing to ascertain the full trafficking network and article source of the seized ambergris.
This major seizure demonstrates the resolve of the Goa Police to protect wildlife and disrupt illegal trade routes. Further investigation is underway in the case to fully map the syndicate.