The Kochi Zonal Office of the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) launched simultaneous raids on Wednesday at 17 locations across Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The operation, conducted under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999, is linked to an ongoing probe into the alleged smuggling of high-end pre-owned luxury vehicles and unauthorised foreign exchange transactions.
The searches covered the residences and establishments of film stars Prithviraj Sukumaran, Dulquer Salmaan, and Amith Chackalackal, alongside those of certain vehicle owners, automobile workshops, and dealers in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Kottayam, and Coimbatore.
An official ED release stated the operation was launched based on intelligence exposing a syndicate involved in the illegal import and registration of luxury cars — including models such as the Toyota Land Cruiser, Land Rover Defender, and Maserati — brought into India via the Indo-Bhutan and Nepal routes.
Preliminary findings indicate a Coimbatore-based network allegedly used forged documents, purporting to be from the Indian Army, the US Embassy, and the Ministry of External Affairs, coupled with fraudulent RTO registrations in states like Arunachal Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. The agency noted that the vehicles were later sold at undervalued prices to high-net-worth individuals, including film personalities.
The ED initiated proceedings after finding prima facie violations of FEMA (Sections 3, 4, and 8), involving unauthorised foreign exchange transactions and cross-border payments facilitated through hawala channels. Investigators are now working to trace the money trail, the beneficiary network, and the movement of foreign exchange linked to the racket.
The ED's action follows a major state-wide operation, codenamed “Operation Numkhor” (meaning vehicle in Bhutanese), carried out by the Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate, Kochi, since September 23. That operation led to the seizure of 39 high-value pre-owned cars suspected to have been smuggled from Bhutan in recent years and had flagged between 150 and 200 vehicles with irregularities in the national transport database, all allegedly linked to the same Coimbatore racket.
Multiple vehicles belonging to Dulquer Salmaan and Amith Chackalackal were among those seized in the earlier Customs probe, though officials confirmed no vehicle was seized from Prithviraj Sukumaran’s residence during their visit.
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