A 53-year-old man was arrested in Mumbai as he was found smuggling 1.3 kg of whale vomit! Known as ambergris it is a prohibited item and the value of it is close to 1.7 crore. Rahul Dupare from Nagpur and accomplice Lalit Vyas from Gujarat were charged under the Wildlife Protection Act and the Indian Penal Code. The two had come in the city to sell it in the black market. The rare item ambergris is exorbitantly priced and if you are wondering why would someone want a part of whale's vomit, then let us give you more details about the substance. MP Farmer Stumbles Upon 44.55 carat Diamond in Panna Mines That Values Upto Rs 2.5 Crore!

What is Ambergris?

Ambergris or ambergrease is a solid substance that is produced in the digestive system of sperm whales. So it is essentially whale's vomit, a solid, waxy flammable substance. It is passed through the whale system either as spew of faeces. It is produced to protect the gut of the huge fish. The word Ambergris is a French word for grey amber. This substance acquires a sweet and earthy scent as it ages.

What is it used for?

Ambergris is a solid substance which is soluble in alcohol, chloroform, ether and certain volatile and fixed oils, chloroform, ether and certain volatile and fixed oils. So it works as a fixative and used in the manufacturing of rare fragrances. The scent is said to last longer. It was Not Meteor! Gurugram Villagers Stored Poop From Aeroplane as Rare Mineral.

Why is it so expensive?

Ambergris is also called as floating gold because it is so expensive. It is usually found afloat in the tropical sea water or in the deep ocean surface. It is suspected that more sperm whales are killed to get the vomit. So since it is very difficult to find but always has a demand, it fetches an exorbitant price. It is mostly sold in the Gulf countries because of the high demand there. The value goes in millions.

Ambergris is illegal to be sold as the sperm whale is an endangered species protected under the Wildlife Act. The sperm whale was declared an endangered species in 1970.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 20, 2019 10:44 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).