Customs carry out raids to curb illegal vehicle imports to Kerala from Bhutan

Kochi, Sep 23 (PTI) Sleuths from the Customs Preventive on Tuesday carried out raids at multiple locations across Kerala to track down, identify and seize vehicles brought illegally to India from Bhutan with forged documents.

Commissioner of the Customs Preventive Commissionerate in Kochi, T Tiju, spoke to reporters in the evening, giving details of raids -- codenamed "Operation Numkhor" -- carried out at around 30 locations, including at the residences of movie stars Prithviraj Sukumaran and Dulquer Salman.

In the Bhutanese language, 'Numkhor' means 'vehicle' and the raids were carried out simultaneously at Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Malappuram, among others during the day, the Customs Preventive Commissioner said.

The locations were raided during the day with the assistance of the Transport Commissionerate of Kerala, ATS and the state police, he added.

The raids were based on specific intelligence that 'high value second-hand cars' are being smuggled into India through the Indo-Bhutan border, the official said.

"As per information available, the cars were brought into India either in completely knocked down condition or inside containers or driven into the country in the guise of tourist vehicles.

"Multiple reports indicate that such vehicles have been used on various occasions for smuggling of gold and narcotic drugs into India," he said.

He further said that their initial probe has revealed that most of the vehicles are owned by high-net-worth individuals, like Prithviraj and Dulquer, who "knowingly or unknowingly" had purchased such vehicles.

"No vehicle of Prithviraj was seized, but two of Dulquer Salmaan have been identified," the official said.

He said that statements of such individuals will be recorded and documents of their vehicles will be examined to ascertain whether they were aware of the illegalities.

"Summons will be issued to them to appear before us for recording their statements," Tiju said.

He said that if it is found that the vehicles were brought to India illegally, whether their current owners were aware of it or not, they would be seized.

"There is no doubt that 90 per cent of the vehicles on our list were brought to India on forged documents. No money trail or proper purchase documents are there in connection with them," the official said.

If the owners were aware of the illegalities, then they would also face action, he added.

He said that there were around 150-200 such vehicles in Kerala alone, of which 36 were seized during the day's operations, which will continue till the remaining ones are also taken into custody.

The Customs Preventive Commissioner also said that their initial probe revealed various other illegalities like income tax and GST evasion as well as money laundering in connection with the smuggled vehicles.

He said that these vehicles are not registered in Kerala and run in the state in the names of unknown persons who are difficult to trace.

"Therefore, such vehicles are a threat to us," he added.

The official said that such vehicles are there in other states as well and therefore, there was a scope for an all-India operation. PTI HMP TGB HMP ROH