October 8, 2025

Drama in the luxury car world! On Wednesday, October 8, 2025, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) Kochi office called actor-producer Dulquer Salmaan for questioning. Why? Because Customs had recently seized three super swanky pre-owned SUVs linked to him. These included two Land Rover Defenders, a Nissan Patrol, and another high-end vehicle, all part of a big bust called Operation Numkhor targeting stalled smuggling from Bhutan. This isn’t just a small tip-off. The actor was summoned to explain transactions tied to these hot wheels. Earlier, Dulquer had knocked on Kerala High Court’s door seeking the release of his vehicles. The court told him to go the official route under the Customs Act for one SUV. But wait, the show is bigger! The ED launched a mega raid on 17 spots all over Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Early Wednesday morning, officers hit the homes and offices of celeb actors like Prithviraj Sukumaran, Amit Chakkalakkal, plus vehicle owners, mechanics, and traders in cities from Ernakulam to Coimbatore. This investigation is the sequel to September 23 raids where Customs swooped on over 30 places and grabbed 37 luxury used cars, all suspected to be smuggled via Bhutan. Another three vehicles were taken soon after that. A fiery ED statement said, “The searches were based on inputs exposing a syndicate engaged in the illegal import and registration of luxury cars such as Land Cruiser, Defender, and Maserati through Indo-Bhutan/Nepal routes.” Digging deeper, the probe revealed a Coimbatore-based crew forging papers. They created fake documents pretending to be from the Indian Army, the US Embassy, and even the Ministry of External Affairs. Fancy that! They used these fakes to get fake registrations from RTO offices in Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and other states. Their trick? Buy these flashy cars underplayed and sell them to rich folks, movie stars included. The ED’s probe under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) found illegal foreign money moves, including hawala payments, linking this racket’s cash trail. The Customs action came from a flagged list of 150 to 200 suspicious vehicles marked by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The accused network allegedly smuggled these costly rides right into Kerala through Coimbatore. As the ED chases down the mystery of money, people, and fake papers, all eyes are on the Bollywood and Malayalam film stars caught in this glitzy but shady luxury car drama!

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Tags: Dulquer salmaan, Luxury car smuggling, Ed raids, Customs seizure, Foreign exchange violations, Operation numkhor,