Operation Numkhor Busts Kerala Luxury Car Racket, Stars Implicated
Kerala customs seizes smuggled vehicles with fake Army seals.
In a high-octane crackdown dubbed "Operation Numkhor" – Bhutanese for "vehicle" – customs sleuths stormed over 30 hotspots across Kerala, unearthing a shadowy syndicate smuggling high-end luxury rides from Bhutan into India. The raids, spanning Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Malappuram, and beyond, netted 36 flashy SUVs like Land Rovers, Toyota Prados, and Land Cruisers, all decked out with bogus seals from the Indian Army and even the US Embassy. But the real jaw-dropper? Searches hit the swanky pads of Malayalam heavyweights Prithviraj Sukumaran, Dulquer Salmaan, and Amit Chakkalackal, sending shockwaves through Mollywood.
Commissioner T. Tiju of the Customs Preventive Commissionerate in Kochi laid it bare at a riveting presser: "These aren't just cars – they're Trojan horses for gold, drugs, and worse. If they can sneak in Bentleys disguised as beaters, imagine what else slips through." The probe, fueled by intel on "high-value second-hand" wheels crossing the Indo-Bhutan border, exposed a web of deceit that's been revving for years. Initial digs uncovered tax dodges, GST scams, money laundering trails, and whispers of terror funding – turning Kerala's elite garages into ground zero for a national security nightmare.
The smuggling playbook? Masterful and menacing. Gangs ferry the beasts – often ex-Royal Bhutan Army discards – in knocked-down kits, hidden in shipping containers, or masked as tourist joyrides across the porous frontier. Once in, they're slapped with phony docs: forged Army crests, embassy stamps, and hacked Parivahan portal entries that shave years off a ride's age. Picture this: A gleaming 2020 Land Cruiser logged as a "vintage" 2010 model, zipping unregistered under ghost owners. "They misuse our forces' good name to dupe buyers into thinking it's official gear," Tiju fumed, revealing how these fakes fetch quadruple prices – up to ₹40 lakh a pop – in shadowy deals with zero paper trail.
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The star factor amps the drama. While Prithviraj's Kochi and Trivandrum homes got the once-over (no wheels yanked yet), Dulquer's garage coughed up two prized possessions: a burly Land Rover Defender and a rugged Toyota Prado. Amit Chakkalackal? Six of his rides are in the clink. "These high-net-worth folks might've bought blind – or not," Tiju noted coolly. "Summons are out; statements pending. Ignorance won't save the cars, and knowledge? That's cuffs." With 150-200 phantoms still prowling Kerala's roads – many flaunting untraceable plates – the commissioner vowed an all-India dragnet. "These ghosts threaten us all – from economic hits to smuggling sprees."
Backed by Kerala Transport, ATS, and state cops, Operation Numkhor isn't braking anytime soon. As showrooms and tycoon lairs stay under siege, one thing's clear: Kerala's luxury lane just hit a massive pothole. Will more A-listers get towed into the spotlight? Stay tuned – this probe's got horsepower to spare.
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