Actor Dulquer Salmaan Moves High Court Against Customs' Seizure Of His Land Rover SUV
The residences of Malayalam movie star Dulquer Salmaan and other celebrities from Kerala were recently raided by the Customs Preventive Wing for alleged smuggling of high-end used cars. As a result of this, Dulquer Salmaan's Land Rover SUV was seized by the authorities. Now, it has been reported that the actor has filed a plea against the seizure of his SUV. He has claimed that all the legal documentation was done correctly for his vehicle.
As per the reports, Malayalam star Dulquer Salmaan, who is the son of superstar Mammootty, has requested the Kerala High Court to release his seized Land Rover SUV. In his plea, it was stated that all the legal formalities for this vehicle were completed. It was added that the seizure of his vehicle was illegal and arbitrary.
His plea highlighted that his Land Rover was purchased legally from the Indian Red Cross. The actor's plea also stated that the SUV has been in his possession for the last five years and all of its documents are valid. It was also mentioned that Customs is overreaching and the seizure was done without any basis.
For those who may not be aware, on September 23, Dulquer Salmaan's residence in Elam Kulam, Kerala, was raided by the Customs Preventive Wing. It was alleged that his car was part of a racket smuggling high-end used cars from Bhutan to Kerala using forged documents and tax evasion.
Presently, the court has not directed the Customs Preventive Wing to release Salmaan's luxury SUV. Instead, the Kerala High Court has posted the matter to next Tuesday and has asked Customs to submit instructions.
Codenamed Operation “Numkhor,” which is a Bhutanese word for vehicle, the Customs Preventive Wing initiated statewide raids on September 23 at 35 locations, including the residences of actor Dulquer Salmaan, Mammootty, Prithviraj Sukumaran, and other industrialists.
Actor Amith Chakalakkal’s Land Cruiser and seven other cars (belonging to others) from his garage, which he owns, have also been seized. In total, 38 luxury cars have been seized so far, and the Customs Preventive Wing estimates that there are 150–200 smuggled cars from Bhutan that have reached Kerala. They added that the smugglers targeted high-net-worth individuals (HNIs).
Reportedly, smugglers would acquire old Land Rovers, Land Cruisers, and other SUVs discarded by the Bhutanese Army for Rs 1–3 lakh. Following this, they would be brought into India via the CKD (Completely Knocked Down) kit route and then reassembled in India. They would also be driven into India by tourists and then left behind.
After this, these vehicles would be registered in lenient RTOs like Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim. Their details would also be updated on the Parivahan database to appear genuine. Lastly, fake No Objection Certificates were also issued to make these vehicles look legitimate.
This operation was then busted, and the current owners of all the cars seized have been asked to provide the documents. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence first flagged this racket. As per the authorities, there has been a loss of crores in import duties. Currently, the Customs Preventive Wing is examining the documents and will release more details in the coming days.