Luxury cars seized by the Customs Preventive Unit in Kochi following inspections carried out as part of Operation Numkhore. (File Photo)
| Photo Credit: R.K. Nithin
The Kochi City police have registered probably the first case involving a vehicle linked to Operation Numkhor carried out by the Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate, Kochi, last year.
The operation saw the seizure of “high-value second-hand cars” suspected to have been smuggled in from Bhutan.
The Ernakulam Central police registered the case based on a petition filed by Muhammed Yahya, 22, of Edappally, who purchased a Toyota Land Cruiser from a Delhi-based agent for ₹14 lakh in 2024. The case has been filed under Indian Penal Code Sections 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property). The accused has been identified as Rohit Bedi of Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi.
Under false claim
According to the First Information Report, the cash and bank transactions took place between June 22, 2024 and July 12, 2024. The vehicle was allegedly sold to the petitioner under the false claim that it had been previously used by the Indian Embassy. The petitioner first paid ₹50,000 in cash, followed by a bank transfer of ₹4.5 lakh. Later, when the petitioner’s friend went to take delivery of the vehicle, he paid ₹5 lakh in cash and the remaining ₹4 lakh through bank transfer on the same day.
On September 23, 2025, in simultaneous Statewide raids across more than 30 locations, including the residences of film actors, the Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate, Kochi, seized 36 “high-value second-hand cars” suspected to have been smuggled in from Bhutan. Since then, the Customs has seized an additional 13 vehicles, bringing the total number of vehicles seized to 49. Among the vehicles seized were three owned by actor Dulquer Salmaan, who had approached the Kerala High Court seeking their release, and one belonging to actor Amit Chakkalackal.
ED probe
The Kochi Zonal Office of the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) also launched a probe, conducting raids under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) at 17 locations across Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The operation covered premises, including the residences and establishments of actors Prithviraj, Mr. Salmaan, and Mr. Chakkalackal, as well as other vehicle owners, auto workshops, and traders in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Kottayam, and Coimbatore.
Coimbatore-based network
Investigations revealed that a Coimbatore-based network used forged documents, allegedly purporting to be from the Indian Army, the U.S. Embassy, and the Ministry of External Affairs, along with fraudulent RTO (Regional Transport Office) registrations in Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and other States to smuggle vehicles from Bhutan. These vehicles were later sold to high-net-worth individuals, including film personalities, at undervalued prices.
Reportedly, the smuggling of vehicles was discussed at the Home Secretary level talks between India and Bhutan last October.
Published – January 12, 2026 04:26 pm IST
