Customs officials in Kochi have seized another luxury vehicle linked to Malayalam actor Dulquer Salmaan as part of their ongoing investigation into the smuggling of high-end cars from Bhutan. This latest seizure brings the total number of vehicles confiscated in the case to 40, with three of them connected to the actor.
The seized vehicle is a red Nissan Patrol SUV, which was taken into custody from an apartment complex in Vennala, where a relative of Dulquer Salmaan resides. Customs officials stated that the SUV was allegedly smuggled from Bhutan and then transported to Himachal Pradesh, where it was re-registered before being sold to the actor. Sources indicate that investigators are collecting details on Dulquer's four cars, noting that all were purchased from previous owners within India.
The seizure occurred a day after Dulquer Salmaan approached the Kerala High Court seeking the release of one of his previously seized vehicles, a 2004 Land Rover Defender. In his petition, Salmaan argued that the Land Rover Defender was initially shipped by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to its regional delegation in New Delhi. He claimed he had a legitimate belief that the vehicle's ownership and registration were valid. Furthermore, he stated that customs officials seized his vehicle despite being presented with documents proving that all customs duties had been paid. He alleges the officials refused to examine the documents and proceeded with the seizure in a "hasty and arbitrary fashion".
The Customs department is preparing to file its response to Salmaan's petition in the Kerala High Court, which is scheduled to hear the matter on September 30. Customs sources confirmed that the details of the latest seizure would be included in their reply.
The Customs department carried out raids at around 30 locations across Kerala, including the homes of actors Prithviraj Sukumaran, Dulquer Salmaan, and Amit Chakkalackal, seizing 36 high-end luxury cars allegedly illegally brought from Bhutan with forged documents. The raids, part of 'Operation Numkhor', revealed that some of these vehicles were also used to smuggle gold and drugs. "Numkhor" means "vehicle" in Bhutanese.
