Bhutan car smuggling case: ED raids homes of Mammootty, Dulquer, Prithviraj

Kochi: The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday carried out searches at 17 locations in Kerala and Tamil Nadu in connection with the alleged Bhutan luxury car smuggling case, including the residences of Malayalam actors Mammootty, his son Dulquer Salmaan, Prithviraj Sukumaran and Amit Chakkalakkal.

Raids were conducted at Mammootty’s residence in Elamkulam, Dulquer’s homes in Kochi and Chennai, Prithviraj’s house, and Amit Chakkalakkal’s property in Kadavanthra. The operation also covered premises of automobile dealers across five districts.

According to the ED, the searches are linked to suspected violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act and follow intelligence inputs about a syndicate smuggling high-end vehicles such as Toyota Land Cruisers and Land Rover Defenders into India via Bhutan and Nepal. Investigators allege forged documents, including those purportedly from the Indian Army, the US Embassy and the Ministry of External Affairs, were used to secure fake registrations in states like Arunachal Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh before the cars were resold at lower prices to buyers, including celebrities.

The crackdown comes a day after the Kerala High Court allowed Dulquer Salmaan to approach Indian Customs for the release of a vehicle seized under “Operation Numkhoru”. His counsel told the court that the car had originally been imported for the Red Cross in 2004 with official clearance and was later acquired through legal channels. Customs argued it was entitled to retain the vehicle as part of its wider investigation, noting intelligence inputs of irregularities.

Officials believe over 150 illegally imported luxury cars are in Kerala, of which about 40 have already been seized. Two of Dulquer’s other vehicles were also confiscated earlier, a move he did not contest.

The ED’s probe is expected to broaden the investigation further, with more owners of high-end vehicles likely to come under scrutiny.