In a significant seizure under Operation Numkhor, the Customs department has impounded a Tamil Nadu-registered Land Rover Defender (TN 01 AS 0155) belonging to actor Dulquer Salmaan. Dulquer is reportedly the third owner of the vehicle. The seizure came as a result of a string of checks conducted on his vehicles in the early hours of the day.

In addition to Dulquer’s SUV, Customs authorities also confiscated actor Amit Chakkalakal’s vehicles and another luxury vehicle. It was found out from sources that some high-end vehicles, reportedly imported into India from Bhutan by cheating on import duties, are being investigated.

Customs Seize Dulquer Salmaan’s Car

Customs officers revealed that Amit Chakkalakal is not cooperating with the investigation. Although summons have been issued to him, the actor refused to receive them, and the officers had to involve local police. Officials say that cars previously registered in the name of the Indian Embassy and US Consulate were then found in the hands of Amit. His house is still being searched, and his lawyers are also there. Among the many vehicles impounded is a 1999 model Toyota Land Cruiser, which was originally bought in Delhi but was later re-registered in Madhya Pradesh under questionable circumstances.

The investigation has also reached the homes of other top film stars, among them Prithviraj Sukumaran, whose Land Rover Defender is said to be investigated. The car was, however, not located at his Kochi flat or Thiruvananthapuram house. Dulquer’s Nissan Patrol is also under investigation.

Operation Numkhor: The raid details

Over 20 luxury cars have already been seized in Operation Numkhor, a nationwide search for illegally imported vehicles. Over 20 places in Kerala, including Kottayam, Malappuram, and Kozhikode, are being raided. About 150 SUVs, most of them dumped by the Bhutanese army, are suspected to have been illegally imported into India without payment of the obligatory 200% import duty by investigators.

The organized racket involved shipping cars to states such as Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, procuring false registrations as well as subsequent re-registration across the nation for sale to celebrities, industrialists, and traders.

The racket had been under the watchful eyes of Customs and Revenue Intelligence for months now before today’s simultaneous raids. Senior officials of Kerala–Lakshadweep Customs range as well as others are likely to brief the media later in the evening.

Also Read: Emraan Hashmi’s HAQ: The Real Story of the Shah Bano Case

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