Operation Numkhor: Bhutan’s vintage SUVs fuel smuggling racket, Kerala buyers face tax fraud crackdown

Picture a 1995 Land Rover Defender 110, its boxy silhouette exuding raw adventure, every inch whispering tales of Himalayan climbs. Then a 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser 105, wide and unshakable, the go-to choice for explorers and royals alike. Beside them stands the mighty 2003 Nissan Patrol, in its vintage avatar, radiating Gulf-inspired grandeur — sleek lines, commanding stance, and a cabin that marries toughness with understated luxury. This is a glossy dealer listing on a Bhutanese website, a true paradise for auto lovers in Kerala. 

When the Customs Commissionerate (Preventive), Kochi, launched ‘Operation Numkhor’ to crack down on smuggled luxury SUVs in Kerala, many were curious about the name itself. ‘Numkhor’ in Bhutan’s Dzongkha language simply means “vehicle.” But for those who stumbled upon numkhor.com, a leading Bhutanese car dealer’s website, the word painted an altogether different picture — rows of gleaming vintage SUVs displayed like jewels, waiting to tempt buyers. And it’s not just one site; across Bhutan, dealers showcase these polished machines to lure customers, their crisp photos and tempting price tags making them irresistible. 

In Bhutan, these vehicles are not hidden away in collectors’ garages. They are listed openly, often at prices that would make Kerala’s auto enthusiasts rub their eyes in disbelief. Immaculate paintwork, meticulously maintained interiors, engines that purr like new, and they sit like treasures awaiting a second life. 

For Kerala’s car lovers, where such models were never officially sold, these SUVs are like forbidden fruits, a mix of nostalgia, power, and exclusivity. And it is this very allure that fuels the shadow market, transforming Bhutan’s surplus of vintage SUVs into Kerala’s most coveted automotive treasures. But the dream these machines represent in Bhutan has turned into a nightmare in Kerala. These vehicles are now in the news for all the wrong reasons, dragging in not just businessmen and high-net-worth individuals but even Malayalam stars like Dulquer Salmaan, Prithviraj, and Amith Chakkalakkal. 

In the past two days alone, the Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate, Kochi, seized 38 luxury SUVs in sweeping raids across the state, exposing a smuggling network that thrives on this frenzy for cars. What begins as a listing on a Bhutanese website, promising adventure and prestige, often ends up as a seized exhibit in a Customs yard in Kochi. This investigation poses a curious question: why are these cars in such demand in Kerala, and how did Bhutan become their unlikely launchpad into the black market?  

Why Bhutan needs SUVs 
Bhutan’s geography is all mountains, valleys, and rough roads. Because of this, people need strong, reliable vehicles that can handle steep climbs, sharp curves, and bumpy terrain. Instead of small cars, SUVs like Toyota Land Cruisers, Prados, Hyundai Santa Fe, and Suzuki Brezza dominate the market. Over time, these SUVs have become both a practical necessity and a status symbol, with VIPs and foreign guests driven in nothing less.

This long-standing preference has created a large stock of older, high-value SUVs in Bhutan. As the country shifts toward electric mobility and tightens restrictions on both new and used imports, these petrol and diesel workhorses are slowly being pushed out of the domestic market. What Bhutan no longer wants becomes gold across the border. 

According to a senior representative at a Kochi car dealership, the real magnet is the price gap. In Bhutan, SUVs can be acquired dirt cheap, sometimes duty-free through misused government quotas or at throwaway prices from institutional auctions. In India, while second-hand auto imports are banned, fresh imports or those via Transfer of Residence would normally attract 160–180% import duty for the same models, making its prices out of reach. By sneaking them across porous borders and re-registering them with fake documents, racketeers can sell them for five to ten times their original cost. 

“Take the example of a 2003 Nissan Patrol imported from the Gulf to Bhutan. It costs around Bhutanese Nu 8,90,745 (₹8.9 lakh) there. Once smuggled into India and re-registered with forged papers, the same vehicle could fetch ₹30–35 lakh from enthusiasts desperate to own rare models never sold here,” said the official.

Customs officers uncovered even sharper profiteering: a vehicle bought for ₹1 lakh in Bhutan resold for ₹10 lakh in India, while another picked up for ₹3 lakh was flipped for ₹30 lakh, according to the Customs Commissioner T Tiju.

According to Sonu Somadas, sales manager of Heinz Motors in Kochi, they often see some luxury vintage SUVs in Kerala, which were not even launched in the country. “Despite being car dealers, we wonder how they brought these old vehicles, which can’t be imported, to Kerala in such pristine condition. They must be smuggled in only. Later, we saw a few vloggers and brokers promoting such cars in their videos. Since Kerala has a huge demand for such vehicles, the inflow will increase only,” said Somadas. 

Fuelling this craze is the rise of a social media–driven vintage car culture in Kerala. What was once the passion of a small circle of collectors has exploded into a full-blown trend, thanks to Instagram pages and Facebook groups that act like virtual showrooms. Catchy photos and viral reels showcase sparkling Land Cruisers, Defenders, and Patrols in perfect condition, turning them into aspirational objects for a new generation of buyers. 

According to a senior Motor Vehicle Department official in Kochi, these young buyers, many of whom are befriended through these social media pages, seldom do proper background checks. “They see a classic Land Cruiser or a vintage Land Rover online and are ready to pay top price without caring about its history. And eventually they land in trouble,” he said. 

MVD officials believe that the rush for rare SUVs has created the perfect opening for racketeers. Cars smuggled from Bhutan, often laundered through forged documents and first registered in states like Himachal Pradesh before being moved to Kerala, slide seamlessly into the market. By the time they hit Instagram or YouTube vlogs, they are irresistible: polished, fully loaded, and flaunted as lifestyle symbols rather than suspect imports. 

“Social media has made vintage SUVs and off-roaders look cooler than ever. But the hype is also dangerous — it pushes people to buy without thinking. Many end up chasing style and status, only to find themselves stuck in legal trouble instead of enjoying their dream ride,” the MVD official said.

It’s this potent mix  — Bhutan’s supply glut, India’s punishing import taxes, and Kerala’s booming appetite for rare SUVs — that has created the perfect storm. Operation Numkhor exposed just how entrenched the racket has become, with 38 cars seized in 48 hours, raids across six districts and big names now under the scanner, while the officials suspect nearly 200 such smuggled vehicles are in the state.