Sindhudurg LCB with the arrested accused
Police seized 2.4kg of ambergris worth Rs 2.4 crore, and a car, as well as a motorcycle, allegedly used in the smuggling operation. A case has been registered at Kudal police station under sections 39, 42, 43, 44, 48 and 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The accused were produced before a court, which remanded them to police custody till Sept 2. Police identified the arrested accused as Sanket Santosh Chavan (26), currently residing at Oros Rawalnathnagar and originally from Nirukhe in Kudal taluka, Mahesh Laxman Revankar (35), currently residing at Kuwarbav in Ratnagiri and originally from Revandi in Malvan, Amey Pundalik Desai (31) of Oros Rawalnathnagar, Kudal and Amit Arun Anavkar (39) of Anav village in Kudal taluka.
LCB inspector Praveen Kolhe said the team was patrolling in the Kudal police station limits when it received specific information about the sale of ambergris. “Acting on the tip-off, police informed senior officers and, in the presence of panch witnesses and forest department personnel, set up a trap on Pandur-Kadaval road,” the officer said. “A search of the vehicles led to the recovery of ambergris weighing 2.4kg, following which four suspects were taken into custody,” Kolhe said.
During the operation, officers intercepted a motorcycle and a car parked under suspicious circumstances. Further investigation is being carried out by sub-inspector Aniruddha Sawarde under the supervision of Kudal police inspector Vikas Badve. Kolhapur: Sindhudurg local crime branch (LCB) late on Saturday night busted an ambergris (whale vomit) smuggling racket and arrested four people after laying a trap in Pandur village of Kudal taluka.