Luxury drive on an illegal route

As Kochi metropolis was nearly resuming its traditional hubbub throughout the early hours of September 23, 2025, a band of males in formal put on exited their automobiles outdoors the residence of movie actor Dulquer Salman at Elamkulam in Kochi.

Across the similar time, related scenes unfolded at a number of areas throughout town in entrance of the homes of outstanding film stars, high-net-worth people, together with industrialists, celebrities, and social media influencers.

Group visited the homes of actor Prithiviraj at Thevara and actor Amit Chakkalackal at Kaloor. All three areas, inside a five-kilometre radius, turned focal factors of a sweeping crackdown that was quickly gaining momentum.

It emerged {that a} Statewide operation codenamed “Numkhor,” which means “car” within the Bhutanese language, was beneath approach. The goal of the crackdown, which was carried out by the Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate, Kochi, was the high-value pre-owned luxurious vehicles reportedly smuggled into Kerala from Bhutan. Lending muscle to the operation had been the Anti-Terrorist Squad, the Motor Automobiles division, and the Kerala Police.

By the tip of the day-long raids, the Customs had confiscated 37 premium automobiles. Amongst them had been a Defender registered within the identify of Dulquer and a Land Cruiser owned by Amit. Dulquer has since approached the Kerala Excessive Courtroom in search of the discharge of his car, which, based on him, was a legally owned one.

150 to 200 automobiles

Nonetheless, these automobiles, suspects T. Tiju, Commissioner of the Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate, Kochi, are among the many 150 to 200 automobiles illegally introduced in from Bhutan by a Coimbatore-based group over the previous couple of years. The listing was compiled by the Customs over the previous six months, based mostly on inputs from the Union Ministry of Street Transport and Highways, claimed the official at a media briefing.

The subsequent day, two Land Cruisers had been confiscated from garages at Adimaly in Idukki district and Kundannoor in Kochi. Quickly, a Nissan Patrol, additionally registered within the identify of Dulquer, was seized from the residence of an individual near him at Vennala in Kochi.

Social media influencer Shilpa Surendran, whose car was seized from Adimaly, was in a state of shock over the lack of her automotive, which she claimed to have bought from a Tirur-based particular person for ₹15 lakh. She claimed to have spent one other ₹5 lakh on it for its restoration. “Shedding one’s life’s financial savings invested in a long-cherished dream is deeply painful. How am I purported to realize it was registered in India utilizing solid paperwork? It’s totally the federal government’s duty to stop fraudulent registrations,” she argues.

In accordance with her, the earlier proprietor, who acquired the car from Karnataka, registered it in Kerala following a no-objection certificates (NOC) issued by the Regional Transport Workplace there.

Arunachal Pradesh registration

The car seized from Kundannoor was discovered registered within the identify of the unique proprietor, whereas the others had been reportedly registered within the names of subsequent homeowners. Bearing an Arunachal Pradesh registration, the Land Cruiser was registered within the identify of a resident from Muvattupuzha in Ernakulam.

“All these vehicles had been probably smuggled in via three strategies — in a totally knocked-down situation, hid inside containers, or pushed throughout the Indo-Bhutan border utilizing permits issued to vacationers travelling to India,” says Tiju.

The porous Indo-Bhutan border and Bhutan’s low import responsibility regime are believed to have attracted the smugglers to take this route, based on Customs officers. In addition they suspect that these automobiles might need been used for trafficking gold, narcotics, and different contraband.

Central businesses, such because the Directorate of Income Intelligence, had uncovered such cases and registered circumstances, elevating issues about nationwide and financial safety, says Tiju.

“If gold and medicines may have been trafficked utilizing these automobiles, then just about something might be smuggled in,” says Tiju, whereas not totally dismissing the likelihood that proceeds from the smuggling might have been used to fund terrorism.

Solid seal, insignia

The racket behind the suspected smuggling was discovered to have solid the identify, seal, and insignia of the Indian Military, the Indian and American Embassies, and the Ministry of International Affairs for registering the smuggled automobiles regionally and deceptive consumers into believing that these had been official automobiles of those businesses, based on Customs officers.

The Customs officers have discovered that almost 90% of those automobiles had been registered utilizing solid paperwork, primarily at Regional Transport Workplaces in different States, earlier than being transported to Coimbatore after which offered throughout the nation. They haven’t dominated out the doable collusion of MVD officers in these States. Even the Parivahan web site, hosted by the Ministry of Street Transport & Highways, is suspected to have been manipulated by the racket for facilitating the unlawful actions.

As an illustration, a car manufactured in 2014 was found to have been registered beneath the identify of its first person as early as 2005. The verification of the Car Identification Quantity (chassis quantity) by the unique registration authority may have instantly uncovered the racket, observes a senior MVD official.

“Had the unique registration authority in India verified the chassis variety of the automobiles, it might have instantly revealed that the car originated in Bhutan and was unlawfully imported or smuggled. The failure to take action suggests both negligence or collusion,” says the official on situation of anonymity.

The Customs has warned that many such smuggled automobiles, registered via fraudulent means in different elements of the nation and never but registered in Kerala, could also be working on roads right here with out a legitimate health certificates or insurance coverage. If these automobiles are concerned in felony actions or accidents, tracing the precise proprietor may show a troublesome job, they worry.

Importing pre-owned vehicles just isn’t permissible, besides beneath the provisions of the Switch of Residence (TR). In such circumstances, a car that has been used for not lower than three years within the nation of origin could also be introduced into India and registered right here after paying an import responsibility of 160% topic to the situation that it’s going to not be offered for 5 years since its registration in India, factors out Customs officers.

“Automobiles suspected to have been smuggled into Bhutan are principally basic fashions manufactured between 1970 and 1990. Until the second half of 2000, when international automobiles might be purchased immediately from showrooms right here, international automobiles might be registered in India solely via TR or by buying them at public sale by the State Buying and selling Company, to which international embassies offered their used automobiles. The solemn duty of such automobiles rests with the unique proprietor and the unique registration authority, which clearly glosses over documentation endorsement within the passport, Customs clearance allow, certificates of responsibility fee, and so on,” says Upendra Narayanan, skilled member of the State Street Security Authority.

He known as for modernising the Motor Automobiles division and arming it with probably the most trendy gear for higher enforcement. As it’s, the division and its methods are at the least half a century behind in comparison with the enforcement strategies of superior nations, says Narayanan.

‘Prone to be scrapped’

M. Jithesh Menon, a lawyer, notes that these automobiles, which reportedly originated outdoors India, can’t be run on Indian roads, as they had been registered utilizing solid paperwork. Because the registration of those automobiles is unlawful, any subsequent sale could be handled as void, and the automobiles might should be finally scrapped, he feels.

The Customs has requested all of the homeowners of the confiscated automobiles to supply the paperwork associated to them. Failure to adjust to the directive may result in authorized motion, together with doable arrest beneath the Customs Act, they warn.

It’s suspected that many people who bought these automobiles lack each a verifiable cash path and supporting paperwork, says Tiju.

Amit factors out that when automobiles change possession, subsequent consumers might not at all times retain all of the data that the unique proprietor had possessed. Even officers from the Motor Automobiles division are unsure in regards to the database earlier than the launch of the Parivahan portal. The actor means that it might be useful if the federal government prioritises entry to such paperwork within the occasion of an emergency.

Moreover asking for the paperwork of the automobiles owned by him, the Customs has requested Amit to supply data for six different automobiles seized from a storage in his neighbourhood. By his personal admission, these automobiles had been delivered to the storage for restoration on his advice.

With “Operation Numkhor” receiving widespread consideration, monitoring down the remaining automobiles suspected of being delivered to Kerala might show difficult, as there’s a chance that their present homeowners are both concealing them or disposing of them, says a police official.

Press meet with a distinction

The media briefing of the Customs Commissioner on the crackdown too had its share of twists and turns, which took even the Customs officers abruptly.

The Customs Commissioner abruptly ended the press convention after answering a cellphone name, which he acquired halfway via the media briefing. A visibly unsettled Commissioner, responding in monosyllables—principally “sir”—left the press convention in a huff, giving room for doubts in regards to the destiny of the drive led by him.

The early morning crackdown and the following developments, together with the hasty cancellation of the media briefing earlier than the complete glare of TV channels, have left extra questions unanswered. Is there extra to it than meets the attention?