Kochi: In a significant development in the first criminal case registered by the Kerala Police in connection with the sensational Bhutan vehicle smuggling scandal, uncovered by the Customs Preventive unit under 'Operation Numkhor', the probe has entered a crucial phase. The Ernakulam Central Police have issued a notice to a New Delhi-based broker, Rohit Bedi, as part of their investigation into a cheating case linked to the Bhutan luxury car smuggling racket.

The summons follows the registration of a case last month against Bedi, a resident of Lajpat Nagar in New Delhi, who is accused of defrauding a Kochi resident of ₹14 lakh by selling to him a luxury SUV that was allegedly smuggled from Bhutan. While the accused has reportedly denied any involvement in the smuggling network during initial contact, the police have demanded his presence in person to record his testimony. 

"We already issued a notice to him in January, but he sought more time to appear. So now we have issued a fresh notice asking him to come to Kochi. The probe now focuses on verifying the intricate financial trail and coordinating with the Delhi Motor Vehicle Department to uncover the true history of the vehicle involved to check if it was smuggled," said a police officer.

The legal action stems from a complaint filed by 22-year-old Mohammed Yahya of Edappally, who fell victim to a common lure used by luxury car fraudsters. According to the police, Bedi allegedly presented a high-end Toyota Land Cruiser as a vehicle previously used by the Indian Embassy, a tactic allegedly used to justify the SUV's suspiciously competitive pricing. Trusting this representation of a 'diplomatic vehicle', Yahya agreed to the purchase, executing the payment in multiple stages throughout mid-2024.

The financial transaction began with an initial cash payment of ₹50,000 on June 29, followed by a bank transfer of ₹4.5 lakh on July 1. Upon the vehicle's delivery in Delhi, a friend of the complainant, Shibin Ahmed, handed over an additional ₹5 lakh in cash, while the final balance of ₹4 lakh was cleared via a bank transfer on the same day. 

However, the buyer's investment vanished when Customs officials, as part of Operation Numkhor, seized the SUV, which bore a Himachal Pradesh registration, revealing it was an illegal import rather than a legitimate embassy asset.

This specific case mirrors the broader modus operandi identified in Operation Numkhor, where syndicates exploit lower tax regimes in Bhutan to import SUVs or procure used luxury cars. To bypass India's steep import duties, these rings frequently forge No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from high-trust institutions such as the Ministry of External Affairs or the Indian Army. The vehicles are then registered in states such as Himachal Pradesh to obscure their origins before being funnelled to buyers in Kerala and other southern states.

The Ernakulam Central Police have charged Rohit Bedi under Sections 406 for Criminal Breach of Trust and 420 for Cheating under the Indian Penal Code. The police are currently focused on the cheating aspect of the case, seeking to prove that the accused intentionally misled the complainant by selling a smuggled vehicle under false pretences.

This ongoing probe is expected to reveal more links between local brokers and the international smuggling ring that has already sold dozens of high-value vehicles seized across South India.