Operation Numkhor: Dulquer Salmaan's Luxury Cars Seized During Kerala Customs Raids: Report

Dulquer Salmaan's Luxury Cars Seized: As part of Operation Numkhor, customs authorities in Kerala reportedly have seized multiple luxury vehicles, including two belonging to Malayalam actor Dulquer Salmaan, amid a statewide investigation into tax-evaded imports from Bhutan. According to Mathrubhumi, the seizures also included 11 other luxury SUVs from Kozhikode and Malappuram districts, all of which are being transported to the Customs office at Karipur Airport for further examination.

The investigation comes after Customs intelligence revealed that 198 luxury vehicles were illegally imported from Bhutan into India by evading taxes, as reported by Asianet News. Officials are currently verifying the exact number of these vehicles present in Kerala, using data collected from vehicle dealers. The seized vehicles are part of a centralized probe being conducted by Customs to trace all cars involved in this illegal import network.

Raids under Operation Numkhor were carried out at multiple locations, including the residences of prominent film actors such as Dulquer Salmaan in Panampally Nagar and Prithviraj in Thevara. While Customs visited Prithviraj's Thiruvananthapuram home, no vehicles were found, and no inspection was conducted there.

Customs Conducts Widespread Inspections Following Illegal Luxury Vehicle Imports

As per reports, officers from the Kerala Motor Vehicles Department are participating in these inspections, focusing on verifying the vehicles' documentation. Today, Customs is said to have conducted inspections at around 30 locations across Kerala, including the Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Kottayam, Kozhikode, and Malappuram districts.

The probe has also revealed that SUVs abandoned by the Royal Bhutan Army were illegally brought into India, with fake registrations created in states such as Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, before being re-registered in other parts of the country. Some of these vehicles were reportedly purchased by celebrities, businessmen, and even senior government officials.

Customs authorities stated that legally importing such vehicles requires paying around 200% duty. Secondhand vehicles cannot be legally imported into India. Reports indicate that certain rackets are violating these rules. A press conference is scheduled today at 6:30 PM in Kochi, where the Customs Preventive Commissioner for Kerala and Lakshadweep will provide further details about the investigation and the seized vehicles.