The Aarey Police arrested a 36-year-old man for allegedly selling government-banned whale vomit worth more than Rs 15 crore on Wednesday.
According to officials, the accused Yogesh Joshi (36) came to Mumbai from Beed district to sell whale vomit. Also known as ambergris, whale vomit is considered valuable.
Senior Inspector Jyoti Desai who received a tip-off from an informer, directed her police inspector Pardesi who laid a trap with the help of PSI Ulhas Kholam and his detection staff near Arey Market Unit number 5.
The suspicious police took the accused into custody when he was seen walking with a purple-colour tiffin bag in his hand. Later, after searching him in presence of the forest official Surendra Patil, they recovered 5 kilograms of whale vomit from the tiffin bag.
During the interrogation, it was found that the accused was a pharmacist, a resident of Beed. Joshi was given this substance by an unknown ‘baba’ to sell.
Being a pharmacist, Joshi knew where this substance is used and who can buy it. He was looking for the buyer and even got in touch with some people in Mumbai in this regard before coming from Beed, said an Aarey police official.
The whale vomit is considered very valuable and is used to make medicine. If the vomit starts to float on the surface of salt mixed water, then it is considered real. A forest officer who examined the seized vomit, said it was real. “We have, however, sent the substance to forensic lab for further examination,” he added.
A case has been registered under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 under sections 44, 51, 2, 39, 57, 49B, 9, and 48A. “The accused produced before a court, which remanded him in police custody for further probe,” another official said.
Surjitt Sahani
