India, Oct. 20 -- In a major crackdown on illegal wildlife trade, officers of the Dapoli Customs Division have seized over 4.8kg of ambergris, commonly known as whale vomit, during an early morning operation on October 17. The sale of the contraband, a rare and highly valued substance used in high-end perfumes, violates the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

A special team from the Customs Department launched a targeted search operation, chased down a Maruti Wagon R, and intercepted it near the Dapoli ST stand. Upon inspection, officers found the white-to-light-brown solid substance weighing 4 kilograms and 833 grams. Four men -- Yuvaraj Kashinath More, 49, Sanjay Bhiku Dhopte, 36, Nilesh Harishchandra Salvi, 39, and Siraj Shaikh, 38 -- we...