Kochi: The Kochi Customs Preventive Commissionerate seized two more Toyota Land Cruiser luxury SUVs as part of its ongoing crackdown on high-end vehicles illegally imported into the country by evading customs duty, taking the total number of luxury vehicles seized under ‘Operation Numkhor’ to 60.
The latest seizures followed months of coordinated investigations conducted across multiple locations outside Kerala.
Customs officials believe the racket is being operated by an organised interstate syndicate that has been smuggling premium foreign-made vehicles into India using forged documents and fraudulent import records to evade customs duty running into several crores of rupees.
According to investigators, the two SUVs were fitted with fake Registration Certificates (RCs) that were created to conceal the vehicles’ true origin and facilitate their registration and use without attracting the attention of enforcement agencies.
Preliminary findings suggest the syndicate fabricated customs clearance documents and falsely declared the country of origin of the vehicles before introducing them into the domestic market.
The probe, which has now been expanded to neighbouring states including Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, has unearthed what officials describe as a sophisticated network specialising in preparing forged documents for illegally imported luxury vehicles.
Investigators suspect that agents, along with certain officials in the Motor Vehicles Department, helped secure registrations for the vehicles despite irregularities in their import documents.
The Customs Preventive wing has initiated proceedings under the Customs Act, 1962, and indicated that the investigation will be widened in the coming days.
Several prominent vehicle owners and others suspected to be linked to the racket are expected to be summoned for questioning as investigators attempt to trace the financial trail behind the illegal imports.
The investigation had drawn considerable public attention after actor Dulquer Salmaan appeared before Customs officials at their Kochi office last week for questioning in connection with the probe.
The questioning followed the seizure of luxury vehicles from premises linked to the actor during searches conducted in September 2025 under ‘Operation Numkhor’.
He had subsequently been directed to produce documents relating to the vehicles.
Customs officials have maintained that the investigation is continuing and have not disclosed further details regarding his examination.
Over the past several months, ‘Operation Numkhor’ has evolved into one of the largest investigations into the illegal import of luxury vehicles in the region.
Of the 60 vehicles seized so far, most are foreign-manufactured premium cars worth several crores of rupees.
Customs officials estimate that the racket has caused substantial revenue losses to the Central government through large-scale customs duty evasion and have indicated that more seizures are likely as the investigation progresses.
(IANS)
