The Customs Department has released shocking information on vehicle smuggling via Bhutan. It was found that more than 15,000 vehicles were illegally registered across India after evading customs duties and taxes worth hundreds of crores.
The shocking information has emerged from the Customs investigation, “Operation Numkhor”, which has trapped celebrities and film stars.
Operation Numkhor, named after the Bhutanese word for “vehicle”, was the primary engine that drove this massive discovery. While the operation initially targeted around 36 to 43 luxury vehicles in Kerala, the investigative trail led directly to the identification of the 15,849 illegal registrations.
Almost all the vehicles were registered falsely in the northeastern states that share a border with Bhutan. 464 vehicles were registered in Assam alone. More than 50 vehicles were seized from Kerala. The most shocking breakthrough came during a digital audit of the Parivahan (Vahan) national vehicle registry.
Many vehicles were registered using forged Army Disposal Certificates. Some cars were falsely documented as being imported for foreign embassies or the Ministry of External Affairs, which allows for duty-free entry. Customs verified these documents with the actual departments and found them to be high-quality forgeries.
While the investigation is in progress, the 7th India-Bhutan Joint Group of Customs (JGC) meeting began on Monday in Munnar, Kerala to address the illegal smuggling of vehicles from Bhutan into India. A 10-member Bhutanese delegation, including the Customs Commissioner, is participating to share information intelligence on Operation Numkhor, which targets smuggled SUVs and luxury cars, some of which have been traced to Kerala. Strict measures to prevent tax evasion through vehicle smuggling will be discussed in the meeting.
The Customs said more information regarding the vehicle smuggling will be released in the coming days.