Ambergris smuggling case probe hits wall

Margao: Over two weeks after Sanguem police cracked what appeared to be a sophisticated interstate ambergris smuggling network with the arrest of four accused, the investigation has hit a wall, with authorities struggling to uncover the broader syndicate behind the illegal whale vomit trade.

Despite the earlier arrests of Sainath Shet from Ponda, Ratnakant Karapurkar from Zuarinagar, and Vegesh Redkar from Sawantwadi, and the subsequent nabbing of Sachin Mhatre from Pen in Raigad, police sources indicate that the probe yielded little new information about the supply chain or potential buyers of the banned substance. However, weeks of interrogation and follow-up investigations failed to penetrate deeper into what was initially suspected as a well-organised smuggling syndicate.
The case began with the June 6 seizure of 5.75kg of ambergris worth Rs 10 crore at the remote Dabamol village in Sanguem taluka. Initial investigations revealed promising leads when Mhatre’s arrest exposed the interstate nature of the operation, with police discovering that Redkar sourced the contraband from the Raigad resident. TNNThe choice of Dabamol village as a transaction point has also left the cops puzzled, with investigators unable to determine whether this was a regular meeting spot or a one-off arrangement.Police Inspector Ditendra Naik earlier expressed confidence about making additional arrests and busting the entire network, but sources now indicate that the four accused may represent only the lower rungs of the operation.

The case bears similarities to previous ambergris seizures in the state, including incidents in Feb 2024 and 2020.