Kochi: The Customs Commissionerate (Preventive), Kochi, on Saturday seized another SUV belonging to actor Dulquer Salmaan as part of Operation Numkhor, the ongoing crackdown on luxury vehicles smuggled into India via Bhutan and registered using forged documents. 

The vehicle seized this time is a red vintage Nissan Patrol, registered in Karnataka, which was taken from the residence of Salmaan’s relative at Vennala in Kochi by a joint team of Customs officers and Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) officials. Incidentally, this same SUV had earlier featured in his film 'Lucky Baskhar'. 

With this, the number of vehicles seized from Salmaan has risen to three. Customs had earlier confiscated two vintage Land Rover Defenders belonging to the actor. One more Patrol linked to Salmaan is under the scanner, but investigators have yet to trace it. In total, 40 vehicles have been seized across Kerala so far. 

According to Customs sources, the first registered owner of the seized Patrol was reportedly the Indian Army, and the second owner was a Himachal Pradesh native. Officials suspect the SUV was smuggled in through Bhutan and registered in the Army’s name using forged documents. 

“We are verifying the history of the vehicle, including its chassis and engine numbers. The actor, like all other owners, will have to submit the requisite documents, and we will issue him notice,” said a senior Customs officer.  
​Meanwhile, Customs is preparing to file its response to Salmaan’s petition in the Kerala High Court seeking the release of the cars already seized. “We will file a reply soon and will include the details of this latest seizure as well,” Customs sources confirmed. 

The department also revealed that Salmaan’s Patrol was traced based on a tip-off. “The public is helping our investigation officers by providing crucial information,” said the officer.

Multiple rackets behind smuggling cars from Bhutan
Meanwhile, Customs suspect the presence of multiple fraud syndicates operating across several states. Customs believe that it is not just the Coimbatore-based gang behind bringing vehicles into Kerala, but that several groups are working in coordination. This finding was made based on the details collected while questioning Muvattupuzha native Mahin Ansari, the owner of the Toyota Land Cruiser seized from a garage in Kundannoor the other day. 

Ansari told investigators that he had purchased the vehicle one and a half years ago and claimed he had been cheated. According to him, it was a vehicle that had already run for 15 years in Delhi. The sellers—advertising that they could get it registered in other states like Himachal Pradesh—had approached him. He then travelled to Delhi and met them. All of them were North Indians, he said. 

Ansari added that he had provided his Aadhaar details to get an NoC for the car, but the dealer fraudulently registered the vehicle in his name as the ‘first owner’. Though the car was a 1994 model, it was registered as a 2012 model. Ansari claimed that he had asked them to correct this.  
He further told the media that there was a mismatch in his vehicle’s engine number and that all documents, including the RC book, were fabricated by the dealers. Ansari said he has already informed Customs of all these irregularities. He insisted that all his payments were made legally and that he had handed over proof of the same to Customs.