Man held with ambergris worth Tk 21cr in Teknaf

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has detained a man along with eight kilograms of whale vomit, also known as ambergris, valued at Tk 21 crore from Shah Parir Dwip area in ​​Teknaf on Sunday,

The arrested is Shamsul Alam, 35, hailed from Saint Martin's, confirmed a BGB press statement on Monday.

The press notification noted that the ambergris, which is used in the production of high-value perfumes and medicines, is banned for trading in Bangladesh. Acting on a tip-off, a team of the force raidded in Shah Parir Dwip area and recovered five pieces of the substance (whale vomit).

Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute in Cox's Bazar on Monday confirmed that the recovered properties were indeed ambergris, said BGB Teknaf's 2nd Battalion Captain Lt Col Md Mohiuddin Ahmed.

Later, the detainee has been handed over to Teknaf Police Station, while the seized ambergris has been submitted to the treasury department of the Cox's Bazar deputy commissioner's office, he added.