New Delhi | A probe into an alleged smuggling of luxury vehicles to high net-worth individuals, including Malayalam actors, in Kerala has found that two Coimbatore-based operatives were sourcing such vehicles through a former Bhutanese Army personnel, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Thursday.
The federal probe agency conducted searches in this case on Wednesday, under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), at multiple locations in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, including the premises linked to actors Prithviraj Sukumaran, Dulquer Salmaan and Amit Chakkalackal, among others.
"Preliminary inputs identified a Coimbatore-based network led by Sathik Basha and Imran Khan, partners of Shine Motors. The duo allegedly procured used vehicles from Bhutan using forged No-Objection Certificates and routed payments through unauthorised channels," the ED said in a statement.
It said the two, during the searches, recorded their statement with the ED under the FEMA, "admitting" that between 2023-24, they procured around 16 vehicles from the neighbouring country through a Bhutanese intermediary named Sha Kinley, an ex-Army personnel.
The ED said vehicles were driven to the India-Bhutan border at Jaigaon in West Bengal, loaded on car-carriers and transported via Kolkata, Bhubaneswar and Chennai to Coimbatore without customs clearance.
"No import duty was paid. The vehicles were dismantled and sold as spare parts in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and other states, often through OLX and similar platforms, with payments in cash or to personal accounts," the agency said.
None of the firms involved in this act possessed an Import-Export Code or maintained statutory invoices, it claimed.
The agency said searches carried out at garages and workshops across Kerala "confirmed" the presence of dismantled vehicle parts and "digital evidence" of communication with Bhutan-based suppliers.
The seized material includes "forged" NOCs, WhatsApp chats, bank details and buyer lists, it said.
"The operation has unearthed a network that exploited porous borders and digital platforms to evade customs duties and move foreign exchange through informal channels.
"Admissions obtained during the searches have provided vital leads for tracing the funds and identifying other members of the syndicate," the agency said.
It said the seized records were being forensically analysed to trace the money trail and confirm the involvement of foreign accounts.
The ED is coordinating with Customs, various state RTOs (Regional Transport Offices) and other agencies for verification and further legal action, according to the statement.
The agency also had questioned and recorded the statement of 42-year-old Dulquer Salmaan, son of superstar Mammootty, at his home during the searches.
The investigation stems from an operation of the Customs Preventive Department, which had raided around 30 locations across Kerala on September 23, including the homes of Prithviraj, Salmaan and Chakkalackal, and seized 36 luxury cars.
The raids, which were part of 'Operation Numkhor', revealed that some of these vehicles were also used to allegedly smuggle gold and drugs, as per Customs authorities.
