Chennai, Mar 10 (IANS): Tamil Nadu police arrested five people with 15 kg of ambergris worth crores in international market at Tindivanam.

The arrested were identified as Mohanarangan,62, Sathyamoorthy,34, Chandrashekhar,33, Murugan,32, and Lakshmipathi,32.

Ambergris or whale vomit fetches crores in international market. Police seized the material and arrested five people on a tip-off. A police team, while conducting a patrol on Wednesday night, found five people carrying a travel bag coming out of a house and on inspection found ambergris in their possession.

When interrogated, the arrested people told the police that they were scouting for potential buyers to sell the 15 kg of ambergris worth crores of rupees in international market.

They were produced before the court and remanded in judicial custody. The police have also alerted the Villupuram forest department.

Ambergris, according to forest department officials, is a solid, waxy substance from the intestine of the sperm whale and is found floating in the sea. It is used extensively in perfume industry.