In a major crackdown on illegal high-end luxury vehicles, the Customs and Central Excise department in Kerala conducted raids on around 30 locations on Tuesday (26th September), including the residences of movie stars Prithviraj Sukumaran, Dulquer Salman and Amit Chakkalackal.
The raids were conducted across Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Kottayam, Kozhikode and Malappuram districts. Two of Salman’s high-end luxury vehicles have reportedly been identified by the authorities. The actors will be issued summons to appear before the authorities to record their statements.
The action is part of ‘Operation Numkhor’, launched by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and Customs across the country to identify and seize high-end luxury cars being smuggled into India from Bhutan, using forged documents and bearing the seals of the Army and the US Embassy. In the Bhutanese language, the word ‘Numkhor’ means vehicle.
Disclosing the details of the raids, T. Tiju, Commissioner of the Customs Preventive Commissionerate in Kochi, told the media that 36 high-end luxury cars were seized during the raids, many of which were smuggled to India and illegally sold here. Cases have been filed in this connection.
“If they can smuggle cars, gold and narcotics like this, then they can bring anything else. Therefore, it is a major threat to the national and economic security of the country,” Tiju said. Explaining the modus operandi of those involved in smuggling these high-end luxury cars to India, Commissioner Tiju added, “The cars were brought into India either in completely knocked-down condition or inside containers or driven into the country in the guise of tourist vehicles.” He added that after these vehicles are brought to India, they are registered in different parts of the country using forged documents. Seals and insignia of the Indian Army and embassies, including the US embassy, are forged for registration. This is done to trick the buyers into believing that the vehicles belonged to the Army or an embassy.
Tiju said that such vehicles are brought by individuals with high net worth, like the actors Prithviraj Sukumaran and Dulquer Salman.
