T’puram: The police seized 22.460kg of ambergris, estimated to be worth around Rs 25 crore in the market, from a locker owned by a man arrested in a counterfeit currency case at Vadi harbour in Kollam.The seizure was made from locker No. 10 belonging to Sibioni, 37, of Kaikkulangara in Kollam West. The locker, used to store fishing equipment, was searched by a police team led by Pallithottam SHO Prathibha G Nair around 9.30pm following a tip-off.The team broke open the locker and found the substance concealed in four packets inside a sack. The material was brought to the police station before being handed over to forest department officials who arrived from the Anchal forest range office. The officials examined the substance and confirmed that it was ambergris.The search was conducted by a team comprising special branch SI Jackson Jacob, Pallithottam additional SI Niranjana, assistant SI Binu, SI Saina and members of Dansaf.Sibioni was arrested after police raided his house last Friday night and seized equipment allegedly used for printing counterfeit currency notes. The seizure included printers, currency-counting machines, and 892 bundles of paper cut to the size required for printing Rs 500 notes. He is currently in judicial remand.The investigation into the counterfeit currency case has been handed over to the district crime branch.Ambergris, a waxy substance produced in the digestive system of sperm whales, is valued in the perfume industry for its fragrance-fixing properties. Its possession and trade are regulated under India’s wildlife protection laws.
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