Four arrested for trying to sell 'whale vomit' worth Rs 22 crore near Chennai

Four people belonging to a Kerala-based gang were nabbed in Mangadu near Chennai for attempting to sell Ambergris, or whale vomit, worth Rs 22 crore.

Forest Department officials and police arrested four people after receiving a tip-off about a gang from Kerala attempting to sell Ambergris, or whale vomit, in Mangadu near Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Ambergris is a waxy substance which is flammable. It is produced inside the digestive system of sperm whales and debate is on whether the substance is partially digested hard parts of giant squids. After being accumulated for years inside the sperm whale's stomach, the substance is then either vomited or excreted and floats in the ocean for years, undergoing various chemical changes to transform into Ambergris -- a highly valued substance in the perfume industry, where it is used as a fixative.