Operation Numkhor: Customs seize two more luxury SUVs; total climbs to 38
Customs sources confirmed that Operation Numkhor is set to continue in the coming days.
Customs sources confirmed that Operation Numkhor is set to continue in the coming days.
Customs sources confirmed that Operation Numkhor is set to continue in the coming days.
Kochi: The Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate in Kochi seized two additional vehicles on Wednesday as part of Operation Numkhor, a crackdown on luxury pre-owned cars suspected of being smuggled from Bhutan. With this, the number of cars seized over the past two days has risen to 38. The newly seized vehicles are Toyota Land Cruisers — one taken into custody from Kundannoor and another at Adimaly in Idukki.
Customs sources confirmed that Operation Numkhor is set to continue in the coming days. Sources said that more vehicles are likely to be taken into custody.
The Adimaly vehicle, which had Kerala registration, belonged to social media influencer Shilpa Surendran. It was seized from a garage where it was undergoing restoration. The SUV seized from Kundannur is registered in Arunachal Pradesh, but officials refused to divulge the details of its ownership.
Surendran was asked by Customs officers to come to the garage during the seizure. She told the media that she was shocked to learn about the seizure. According to her, the SUV had been bought from a Tirur-based owner for ₹15 lakh, after which she spent another ₹5 lakh on repairs and restoration.
“This was my only vehicle, and I put all my savings into it. Losing it like this is heartbreaking. How could I have known that it was smuggled in and the registration was done using forged documents?” she asked.
She further explained that the Tirur seller had sourced the vehicle from Karnataka and that the Kerala registration was completed based on a No Objection Certificate (NOC) issued by the Regional Transport Office in that state. Surendran handed over the documents she had with her and was told to furnish records relating to the earlier chain of ownership.
“I will take every possible step to get justice. The government also has a duty here because many ordinary buyers seem to have been trapped in this racket. Preventing fraudulent registrations is entirely the responsibility of the authorities,” she added.