The Customs Preventive Commissionerate on Tuesday conducted statewide raids at the residences and premises of high-net-worth individuals in Kerala, as part of a nationwide crackdown on alleged illegal import of premium vehicles from Bhutan.
The operation, named Numkhor, which means ‘vehicle’ in Bhutanese, covered nearly 30 locations across Kerala, including Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Kuttippuram, and Thrissur. Customs officials raided the residences and premises of high-net-worth individuals, including film stars, industrialists, and senior officials.
Customs officials raided the residences of Malayalam actors Dulquer Salmaan and Prithviraj Sukumaran in Kochi on Tuesday. The raids were being carried out at Prithviraj’s house in Thevara and Dulquer Salmaan’s house in Panampilly Nagar in Kochi. Two vehicles belonging to actor Dulquer Salmaan were reportedly seized during the raids. Summons were also issued to Dulquer asking him to produce more vehicles, if there are any. Although the customs team also visited Prithviraj’s house in Thiruvananthapuram, they returned without conducting an inspection, as no vehicles were found there.
Customs Commissioner Tiju Thomas said that 36 vehicles were seized across the state on Tuesday. Addressing a press conference in Kochi, he added that the Customs has found around 150 to 200 illegally imported premium vehicles in Kerala, of which 36 were seized.
He said the vehicles were imported from Bhutan and registered using fake documents. Seals of the Indian Army, Indian embassies, foreign ministries, and American embassies were forged for this purpose. The Customs Commissioner also said that the Parivahan website had been tampered with, showing a vehicle manufactured in 2014 as having its first user in 2005.
He said the houses of actors Dulquer Salmaan, Prithviraj, and Amit Chakkalakkal were searched on Tuesday. None of Prithviraj’s vehicles has been seized so far, while two of Dulquer’s vehicles have been seized, the Commissioner added.
Earlier, Customs sources said that film star Amit Chakkalakal is not cooperating with the investigation and had refused to accept the summons. As a result, customs officials called the police to his residence. It has been reported that Amit Chakkalakal is in possession of vehicles previously registered in the name of the Indian Embassy and the US Consulate. Raids are continuing at his house, and his lawyers have also arrived. According to reports, Amit Chakkalakal owns a 1999-model Land Cruiser 105, purchased five years ago. The vehicle, currently registered in Delhi, was originally purchased with Madhya Pradesh registration (MP 09 W 1522). The matter is under investigation.
These nationwide raids stem from intelligence inputs indicating that luxury cars are being smuggled into India—particularly from Bhutan—without paying the required taxes. The Customs has intensified raids after investigators uncovered a luxury car racket involving fake registrations and tax evasion. The Customs has found that high-end vehicles imported from abroad were being registered under fictitious addresses and smuggled across India. The authorities also found that cars brought in from Bhutan were fraudulently registered as older vehicles to avoid taxes. Raids were carried out after a suspected customer list surfaced, which allegedly included film stars and prominent business magnates.
Raids are also being conducted at the residences of industry leaders and car dealer showrooms. SUVs, including those abandoned by the Bhutanese army, were brought to India by evading import duty. It is reported that a huge racket is behind the fraud.
The modus operandi of luxury car racketeers involved bringing in luxury vehicles, including SUVs abandoned by the Bhutanese army, while evading import duty. These vehicles were first brought to states like Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, and UP, and registered under fake numbers. Later, they were transported to various parts of the country and re-registered. Eventually, these vehicles were sold to film stars and industrialists.
Tuesday’s raid is the culmination of secret information collected by Revenue Intelligence and Customs. To import vehicles from other countries, a 200% duty must be paid. There is no permission to import second-hand vehicles into the country.