The residences of Malayalam actors Dulquer Salmaan and Prithviraj Sukumaran in Kochi were among the locations raided by the Customs and Central Excise Department on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, as part of "Operation Numkhor". This operation is focused on investigating the alleged illegal import of luxury vehicles into Kerala, purportedly smuggled from Bhutan.
"Numkhor" translates to "vehicle" in Bhutanese. The operation spanned nearly 30 locations across Kerala, including Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Kuttippuram, and Thrissur. Raids targeted not only the actors but also industrialists, senior officials, and used car dealerships across the state.
Customs officials suspect that pre-owned SUVs were smuggled from Bhutan into India without proper tax payments and then sold to businessmen and film industry figures in Kerala. According to sources, the vehicles are transported to border states, either by road or concealed in containers. Forged documents are then used to register these expensive SUVs in states like Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra before they are sold in Kerala.
The investigation suggests that the end users, including celebrities, may not be directly involved in the smuggling racket, which primarily involves used vehicle dealers, agents, and middlemen. These used vehicles, acquired at low prices, undergo refurbishment in India before being resold at premium prices. Raids have uncovered SUVs smuggled from Bhutan as far back as 1991, though the focus is mainly on newer vehicles imported within the last two years.
Customs officials are examining the documents of the vehicles owned by the actors. While Customs visited Prithviraj's Thiruvananthapuram home, no vehicles were found, and no inspection was conducted there.
The Customs department suspects that over 100 high-end cars, including Land Rovers, Land Cruisers, and Prados, were illegally imported by falsely declaring them as used vehicles routed through Bhutan. Preliminary investigations suggest that a racket originating in Himachal Pradesh is behind the operation. Allegedly, around 150 vehicles discarded by the Royal Bhutan Army were smuggled into India and registered in Himachal Pradesh using forged No Objection Certificates (NOCs). These vehicles, initially sold for under ₹5 lakh in Bhutan, were reportedly resold for as much as ₹40 lakh after being re-registered with Kerala numbers.
The Kerala Motor Vehicles Department has also launched a parallel inquiry and MVD officials have joined the Customs raids. Customs officials stated that Indian law prohibits the import of second-hand vehicles and their checks have revealed 10 to 15 categories of violations, including forged entries on the Parivahan portal and falsified records. Vehicles lacking proper documentation are subject to seizure, and their owners may face significant penalties.
PTI sources indicate that around 198 premium vehicles were smuggled into India, evading substantial import duties. Approximately 20 luxury SUVs have already been seized from Kerala, including 11 from the Kozhikode and Malappuram districts. These vehicles are being transported to the Customs office at Karipur Airport for further investigation.
As of now, neither Prithviraj Sukumaran nor Dulquer Salmaan have released any statements regarding the customs raids on their residences.
