In a major wildlife crime crackdown, Karnataka’s Virajpet police intercepted 10.390 kg of ambergris—popularly known as “floating gold” or whale vomit—valued at nearly ₹10 crore. The seizure occurred near Heggala Junction, Virajpet Taluk, during a covert operation based on intelligence inputs.

Ambergris, a waxy substance produced in the intestines of sperm whales, is prized in luxury perfumery but banned in India under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as sperm whales are protected species.

Ten suspects have been detained, allegedly trying to traffic the substance from Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala to Andhra Pradesh via Bengaluru. The chain began with a woman who first handed over the contraband, prompting a deeper probe into the smuggling network.

Those arrested include Shamsuddin S (45), M Nawaz (54), VK Latheesh (53), Jesh V (40), Prashanth T (52), Raghavendra AV (48), Balachandra Nayak (55), and Jobis KK (33). Police recovered currency counting machines and intercepted two vehicles—a Swift and an Innova Crysta—during the operation.

SP K Ramarajan commended the swift action of DSP Magesh Kumar and officers Anup Madhappa, Pramod, Manjunath, Girish, Dharma, Nishant, and Chandrashekhar. The ambergris was verified by forensic experts and is now set for chemical analysis.

The FIR cites IPC Section 239 and Wildlife Protection clauses, although some legal ambiguities remain. Investigations are ongoing to identify wider trafficking links and rival smuggling rings.