Kochi: The Customs Preventive wing was on Tuesday (September 23, 2025) conducting Statewide raids at the residences and premises of high-net-worth individuals in Kerala, including prominent Mollywood actors Prithviraj Sukumaran and Dulquer Salmaan and industrialists, as part of a crackdown on alleged illegal import of premium vehicles numbering over 100 from Bhutan.
Raids are currently underway at Prithviraj’s house in Thevara and Dulquer’s residence in Panampilly Nagar. Officials also visited Prithviraj’s Thiruvananthapuram home, but no suspicious vehicles were found there. In total, around 30 locations across Kochi, Kozhikode, and Malappuram are being searched in connection with the case.
What is Operation Numkoor?
The operation follows intelligence that decommissioned Bhutan Army vehicles, auctioned at low prices, were smuggled into India without paying customs duties. These high-quality vehicles were allegedly transported to Himachal Pradesh, registered using temporary addresses, and later sold at inflated prices to high-profile people, including film stars and businessmen.
Sources say a well-organised network of agents has been facilitating these transactions, exploiting legal loopholes in Indo-Bhutan trade agreements. While the vehicles are legally auctioned in Bhutan, their import and resale without proper taxation constitute a violation of Indian customs laws.
Customs authorities have compiled a list of recipients of these vehicles, which reportedly includes celebrities. The raids at the actors’ homes are based on suspicions that such illegally imported vehicles may have been purchased.
