As if coffee connoisseurs paying $200 for 450gm of Kopi Luwak or coffee beans that have passed through the intestine and scent glands before being defecated by the Luwak or Asian Palm Civet, wasn’t enough, Mumbai is now hearing frequent stories about dealers willing to cough up crores for a discharge of another kind.

Last week, a joint operation by the Mumbai police and forest department officials led to the seizing of 26 kg of Sperm Whale vomit or  ambergris, via two operations and led to the arrest of four people. Rajesh Mistry and Diwakar Shetty and Kititbhai Wadwhana were found with 8 kg of ambergris on July 9. Sayed Simbakthulla from Karnataka, who was lodged at an Andheri location for a month, was also nabbed after the team members approached him as potential buyers. He was found with 18 kg of ambergris. All accused were booked under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The sale of ambergris is prohibited in India since the endangered Sperm is protected under wildlife laws.