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Following the Customs raid in the Bhutan vehicle smuggling case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on October 8, Wednesday conducted searches at 17 locations across Kerala and Tamil Nadu as part of its probe into the alleged smuggling of high-end pre-owned luxury vehicles and suspected violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
The coordinated operation, led by the Kochi Zonal Office, raided premises in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Kottayam, and Coimbatore, including the residences and establishments of leading Malayalam film actors Dulquer Salmaan, Prithviraj Sukumaran, and Amit Chakkalackal.
According to officials, the searches are linked to a wider investigation into a cross-border racket that allegedly imported vehicles such as Toyota Land Cruisers, Land Rover Defenders, and Maseratis from Bhutan and Nepal through unauthorised channels. The vehicles were reportedly brought into India using forged documents purportedly issued by agencies such as the Indian Army, the US Embassy, and the Ministry of External Affairs.
“The searches were based on inputs exposing a syndicate engaged in illegal import and registration of luxury cars such as Land Cruiser, Defender, and Maserati through Indo-Bhutan/Nepal routes,” a press release by ED said.
Preliminary findings suggest the network, allegedly based in Coimbatore, obtained fraudulent vehicle registrations from states including Arunachal Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, before selling the cars to high-net-worth individuals at undervalued rates.
“ED action was initiated as 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 underway to trace the money trail, beneficiary network, and foreign exchange movement,” the press statement added.
Earlier, on September 23, the Customs in Kerala conducted raids in different parts of the state over the illegally imported second-hand cars under ‘Operation Numkhor’. During the raids, actor Dulquer Salmaan’s two vehicles were seized along with 36 other luxury cars. The seized vehicles reportedly lacked registration, fitness certificates and insurance.
Meanwhile, in a related development, the Kerala High Court on October 7, Tuesday directed actor Dulquer Salmaan to approach the Customs adjudicating authority for the provisional release of his seized Land Rover Defender.
Justice Ziyad Rahman AA while disposing of Salmaan’s petition, observed that the investigation was still at a preliminary stage and that the court would not intervene in the probe. The bench clarified that Dulquer Salmaan could seek interim custody of the vehicle under Section 110A of the Customs Act, 1962, which allows provisional release subject to security conditions determined by the competent authority.
In his petition, the actor claimed to have purchased the vehicle five years ago through formal banking channels from Aarpee Promoters Pvt. Ltd., asserting bona fide ownership supported by customs clearance and purchase documents.