Operation Numkhor - Customs raids homes of film stars, seizes luxury cars

Sleuths of the Customs Preventive Commissionerate on Tuesday carried out raids at multiple locations across Kerala to track down and seize high-end luxury vehicles illegally brought into India from Bhutan using forged documents bearing the seals of the Army and the US Embassy.

Searches were conducted at around 30 locations, including the residences of film stars Prithviraj Sukumaran, Dulquer Salmaan, and Amit Chakkalackal. A total of 36 luxury cars were seized, Commissioner of Customs Preventive in Kochi, T Tiju, told reporters at a press conference here.

Giving details of the raids codenamed “Operation Numkhor” Tiju said several of the illegally imported vehicles were also used for smuggling gold and narcotics, with cases already registered in connection with those activities.

“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,” he emphasised.

The initial probe, Tiju said, revealed other illegalities such as income tax and GST evasion as well as money laundering linked to the smuggled vehicles. Investigators are also examining whether funds from these activities were diverted to finance terrorism.

‘Numkhor,’ meaning vehicle in the Bhutanese language, was chosen as the code name for the operation. Raids were simultaneously conducted in Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Malappuram and other districts during the day, the Commissioner added.

Outlining the modus operandi, Tiju said the vehicles were brought into India either in completely knocked-down condition, concealed inside containers, or driven in under the guise of tourist vehicles. Once inside the country, they were registered using meticulously forged documents, including fake seals and insignia of the Indian Army and foreign embassies such as the US Embassy.

“These forged credentials were misused to mislead buyers into believing the vehicles belonged to the Army or the embassies,” he said.

Manipulations were also carried out either by hacking or with the help of insiders on the Parivahan portal to show the vehicles as Army- or embassy-owned, or to indicate a longer usage history. For instance, a car manufactured in 2014 was shown on Parivahan as registered and in use since 2005.

Many of the vehicles were later bought or sold through undocumented cash transactions, leaving no paper or money trail to identify the original owners, Tiju said.

The day’s operations were carried out with the assistance of the Kerala Transport Commissionerate, the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), and state police, based on specific intelligence that “high-value second-hand cars” were being smuggled into India through the Indo-Bhutan border.

The preliminary probe indicates that most of the seized vehicles were owned by high-net-worth individuals, including Prithviraj and Dulquer, who had “knowingly or unknowingly” purchased them.

“No vehicle of Prithviraj was seized, but two belonging to Dulquer Salmaan have been identified,” Tiju clarified.

Statements from the owners will be recorded, and their vehicle documents examined to determine whether they were aware of the illegalities. Summons will be issued accordingly, he said.

“If it is found that the vehicles were brought to India illegally, they will be seized regardless of whether the current owners were aware. But if it is proved that they knew, action will also be taken against them,” Tiju warned.

He estimated that 150–200 such vehicles are in Kerala alone, of which 36 were seized on Tuesday. Raids will continue until the rest are taken into custody.

Since the vehicles are not registered in Kerala and often run in the names of untraceable individuals, they pose a serious challenge, he said, adding that similar cases exist in other states as well, raising the possibility of an all-India operation.