Ahmedabad: The State Monitoring Cell (SMC) has seized suspected ambergris, commonly known as whale vomit, worth Rs 1 crore from a man near Dholera and arrested him under provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).Acting on a tip-off, a team led by police inspector A J Chauhan raided Raj Chamunda Hotel near Pipli village on the Ahmedabad-Bhavnagar highway on Saturday. The officers apprehended Mehul Vikrambhai Chauhan, a resident of Pipli village in Ahmedabad district, and recovered five solid pieces of a white, cream and golden-brown substance suspected to be ambergris.Officials from the forest department and the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) were called to the spot. Preliminary examination confirmed that the recovered substance was ambergris. The five pieces weighed 1.01 kg, with the seizure valued at Rs 1 crore. Police also seized cash and other articles, taking the total value of the seized material to Rs 1.01 crore.During questioning, Mehul allegedly told investigators that he had received the ambergris around two months ago from Pavan Koli of Bhavnagar, who worked in the office of a diamond polishing unit. According to the police, Pavan had allegedly asked him to store the contraband, promising him a commission once it was sold.The accused further claimed that he was transporting the consignment to hand it over to buyers after being contacted by Pravin Chauhan, a resident of Bhavnagar and a friend of Pavan. Police said another Bhavnagar resident named Mehul was also expected to receive the consignment when the raid took place.Ambergris, a rare waxy substance produced by sperm whales, is highly valued in the international perfume industry as a fixative that helps fragrances last longer. Its trade is regulated under wildlife protection laws.