ED raids premises of actors Dulquer Salmaan, Prithviraj Sukumaran in luxury car smuggling probe

The Kochi Zonal Office of the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) was on Wednesday (October 8, 2025) conducting raids under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) at 17 locations across Kerala and Tamil Nadu as part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged smuggling of high-end pre-owned luxury vehicles and related unauthorised foreign exchange transactions.

The operation covered 17 premises, including the residences and establishments of film stars Dulquer Salmaan, Prithviraj Sukumaran, and Amit Chakkalakkal, as well as certain vehicle owners, automobile workshops, and traders in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Kottayam, and Coimbatore.

The raids follow simultaneous, day-long and Statewide operations carried out by the Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate, Kochi, at over 30 locations, including the homes of movie actors, on September 23, 2025. During those raids, 37 “high-value second-hand cars” suspected to have been smuggled in from Bhutan over the past few years were seized. Three more vehicles were seized in the ensuing days.

“The searches were based on inputs exposing a syndicate engaged in the illegal import and registration of luxury cars such as Land Cruiser, Defender, and Maserati through Indo-Bhutan/Nepal routes,” said a release issued by the ED on Wednesday.

Forged documents

Preliminary findings reveal a Coimbatore-based network using forged documents, allegedly purporting to be from the Indian Army, US Embassy, and Ministry of External Affairs, and fraudulent RTO (Regional Transport Office) registrations in Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and other States. The vehicles were later sold to high-net-worth individuals, including film personalities, at undervalued prices, the release added.

ED action was initiated after prima facie violations of Sections 3, 4, and 8 of FEMA were detected, involving unauthorised foreign exchange transactions and cross-border payments through hawala channels.

Further investigation is under way to trace the money trail, beneficiary network, and foreign exchange movement.

During its raid, named ‘Numkhor’ (meaning ‘vehicle’ in the Bhutanese language), Customs teams fanned out across Kerala based on a list of 150 to 200 vehicles flagged for irregularities in the database of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. These vehicles were suspected to have been smuggled into Kerala by a Coimbatore-based racket.

Multiple vehicles belonging to Dulquer Salmaan and Amit Chakkalakkal were among those seized. While officials visited Prithviraj’s residence in Kochi, no vehicle was seized from the premises.

Dulquer Salmaan has since approached the Kerala High Court seeking the release of his vehicles. On Tuesday, the court directed him to approach the adjudicating authority under the Customs Act to seek the release of one of his high-end SUVs.