Kochi | A 23-year-old man has been arrested as part of 'Operation Numkhor', an investigation launched by the customs here, into the illegal import and registration of Bhutan-origin SUVs and MUVs in India.

According to Customs officials, the accused, identified as Yash from Jaipur, had allegedly colluded with key accused Biswadip Das and Zain Marva, who were arrested earlier in the case.

Investigators found that Yash facilitated the sale of the smuggled vehicles to prospective buyers through social media platforms, acting as an intermediary between sellers and customers.

The probe also revealed that he was the registered owner of more than two such smuggled vehicles, officials said in a press statement.

Yash was arrested on May 27 under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, for his alleged involvement in smuggling SUVs from Bhutan into India.

With his arrest, the total number of people held in connection with the operation has risen to seven across four states.

Earlier, Customs had arrested alleged kingpin Biswadip Das, Zain Marva, a partner of M/s Roadway Cars in Kozhikode, Deepak Potawary, a District Transport Office (DTO) official from Bongaigaon in Assam, and four others for their alleged roles in the smuggling and fraudulent registration of the vehicles.

Officials said the findings of the investigation would be shared with the concerned agencies for further action and coordination.

Further investigation is underway, they added.