Panaji, Feb 17 (IANS): In a joint operation on Friday, the Konkan Railway Police and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) arrested two persons and seized 'whale vomit' (Ambergris) valued at Rs 5.60 crore from their possession, officials said.

The accused persons have been identified as Arun (30) and Nibin Varghese (29), both hailing from Kerala.

The arrest came following a tip-off received by Vinod Mishra, an RPF Inspector in Madgaon.

Ambergris, or whale vomit, is a solid waxy substance originating in the intestine of the whale, which is frequently found floating on the water or washing up on the coasts. It can also be found in the stomach of dead sperm whales. It is highly-valued by the perfume makers as a fixative which allows the scent to endure much longer.

Speaking to IANS, Mishra said that the accused persons were supposed to send the whale vomit to Madurai in Tamil Nadu.

“I had information that Arun and Nibin were supposed to come to the Madgaon railway station to hand over the whale vomit to their prospective customers in order to be transported to Madurai in Tamil Nadu. After their arrest, we handed over the duo to Goa police. We have seized whale vomit valued at Rs 5.60 crore,” Mishra said.

Sources said the accused persons had brought the whale vomit from Mysuru in Karnataka five months back and had stored it at a place in Mapusa in North Goa.

“No sooner they found a customer to sell it, they decided to sell the whale vomit for which they came to the Madgaon railway station,” sources said.

The duo was intercepted at the Madgaon railway station with 5,694 gm of the sticky brownish substance, neatly packed in a carton.

Sperm whales, despite being protected species, are hunted for obtaining Ambergris from their digestive tracts, even though its possession or trade is illegal under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

The accused have been sent to five-day police custody.