Kavaratti: Kerala Forest officials have arrested three people from the Lakshadweep islands in Kochi in connection with sale of whale ambergris worth over Rs 1 crore.
In a release, Department of Environment and Forest, Lakshadweep, on Thursday said the arrested people belong to Andrott and Amini Islands.
They were arrested on Wednesday by the Kerala forest officials with 1.4 kg of Ambergris (1 Kg of Black Ambergris and 400 Grams of White Ambergris) worth Rs 1.4 crore while they were trying to sell it at a private lodge in Vyttila in Kochi.
Based on a secret tip-off, a team of forest officials from the islands was deputed to Kochi for the operation. Besides forest officials from the islands, officials of the Kerala Forest Department and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) took part in the operation.
Ambergris is also known as whale vomit and its sale is banned under Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972.
Ambergris was allegedly extracted by killing the Giant Sperm Whales which are present in Lakshadweep waters, officials said.
Further investigations are on and efforts are on to apprehend the kingpins involved in the wildlife crime, the Environment and Forest Department said.
