Customs Suspects 150–200 Smuggled Vehicles in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram: The Commissionerate of Customs (Preventive), Kochi, seized two luxury SUVs of actor Dulquer Salman during the state-wide raids carried out on Tuesday, targeting the alleged illegal import of luxury vehicles through Bhutan.

Customs Commissioner T Tiju told reporters that 36 vehicles were seized during the "Operation Numkhor" (a Bhutanese word for vehicle), carried out at various places including Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Thrissur, Kuttippuram, Kozhikode and Malappuram. Two luxury SUVs belonging to actor Dulquer Salman were seized during the raid at his house in Kochi, while documents of vehicles belonging to Prithviraj were examined in Thiruvananthapuram. Another actor Amith Chakalakal appeared before the officials to furnish the details of a vehicle.

“We will examine the documents of the seized vehicles and summon the actors for recording their statements,” said the commissioner. The raids involved searches at the residences and premises of high-net-worth individuals, including film stars, industrialists, and senior officials.

The customs officials said that at present 150 to 200 vehicles procured through the illegal channel are operating in Kerala. The smuggled vehicle racket is spread across many other states, calling for an All-India operation.

This racket has been active for more than two years, and almost 90 per cent of the vehicles are brought to India on forged documents.

During the raids, massive GST evasion was also uncovered among dealers. Many vehicles lack documents, including fitness certificates and insurance, but are still being used in Kerala. As per the rules, if a vehicle is brought from outside, it should be registered in the state within a month. “We have found that many vehicles have remained unregistered for seven to eight months. It becomes difficult to trace the actual owner if such vehicles get involved in accidents or any other issues," said a customs official.

The officials have also detected money laundering in several transactions. The high-end cars are illegally imported under the guise of used vehicles routed through Bhutan. Among the vehicles smuggled in from Bhutan included luxury SUVs like Land Cruisers, Prado, and Land Rovers.

The prices of smuggled vehicles, which are procured in Bhutan for less than Rs 5 lakh, get more than Rs 40 lakh when these are re-registered in Kerala.

Customs officials stated, "Indian law prohibits the import of second-hand vehicles. Our checks revealed 10 to 15 categories of violations, including forged entries on the Parivahan portal of the Motor Vehicles Department and falsified records in our systems." Vehicles without proper documentation are set to be seized, and their owners face strict penalties.

The racket reportedly revolved around 150 vehicles discarded by the Royal Bhutan Army, which were smuggled into India and registered. Officials claim the racket involved both agents and corrupt officials who facilitated the registrations using forged documents.