A Motor Vehicles Department vehicle seen outside of actor Dulquer Salmaan’s house as the Customs department conducts a check in Kochi on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: ANI
In simultaneous day-long State-wide raids across more than 30 locations, including the residences of film actors, the Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate, Kochi, seized 36 “high-value second-hand cars” suspected to have been smuggled in from Bhutan over the past few years.
The operation, codenamed “Numkhor” (meaning vehicle in Bhutanese language), saw Customs teams fan out across the State based on a list of 150 to 200 vehicles flagged for irregularities in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways database and suspected to have been smuggled into Kerala through a Coimbatore-based smuggling network.
The Motor Vehicles department, Anti-Terrorist Squad, and Kerala Police extended support. Multiple vehicles belonging to actors Dulquer Salman and Amit Chakkalackal were among those seized. Although officials visited actor Prithviraj’s residence in Kochi, no vehicle was confiscated from the premises.
“These cars were likely smuggled through three methods — either in a completely knocked-down condition, concealed in containers, or driven across the Indo-Bhutan border using permits issued to tourists travelling to India,” T. Tiju, Commissioner, Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate, Kochi, told a press conference here.
The racket reportedly forged the names, seals, and insignia of institutions such as the Indian Army, Indian and American embassies, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to fabricate documents for registering vehicles here.
More alarmingly, agencies such as the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence have seized contraband, including gold and narcotics, smuggled using these vehicles, posing a serious threat to national and economic security. Suspected money laundering and large-scale Goods and Services Tax evasion were also uncovered during the raids. When asked whether the proceeds from the smuggling could have been channelled into terror funding, Mr. Tiju said the possibility would be examined during the investigation.
The Parivahan portal was found to have been manipulated, either through hacking or through moles planted by the racket. In one instance, a vehicle manufactured in 2014 was found to be registered under a first owner in 2005. Several such vehicles were registered at Regional Transport Offices in various States, raising concerns of collusion with officials.
Indian law prohibits the import of second-hand vehicles except under the Transfer of Residence (TR) provision, which allows vehicles used for three years or more to be imported and registered upon payment of a 160% duty. The porous Indo-Bhutan border and Bhutan’s low import duty regime are believed to have made the route attractive for smugglers.
“Owners of all seized vehicles must produce valid documentation. Failure to do so could result in legal action, even arrest under the Customs Act, depending on whether they were involved deliberately or not. Many high net worth individuals who bought these vehicles have no money trail or documents to show for it,” Mr. Tiju said.
Published – September 23, 2025 08:53 pm IST
