Kochi: The Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate, Kochi, has arrested a key operative from Rajasthan in what investigators describe as a major breakthrough in Operation Numkhor, a multi-state probe into one of the country's largest cross-border vehicle smuggling and registration fraud rackets.

The arrest marks the seventh custody in the case, which centres on an international syndicate accused of smuggling premium second-hand vehicles into India through Bhutan and legitimising them using forged registration documents.

The arrested accused, identified as Yash, a native of Jaipur, was allegedly a crucial interstate coordinator for the network. Customs officials said he maintained close contact with the alleged kingpin, Biswadip Das alias Bishwadeep Das (35), a senior IT engineer who was arrested near the India-Bhutan border on February 22, 2026, during a coordinated multi-agency operation.

According to the investigators, Yash operated primarily from New Delhi and Jaipur and played a central role in linking border logistics with buyers in South India.

“Yash functioned as the syndicate's operational coordinator in Delhi and Jaipur. He was involved in identifying premium vehicles in Bhutan, planning their movement across the border and organising transportation routes into India. He also facilitated the sale of several luxury SUVs that eventually reached Kerala and introduced new buyers into the network,” a senior Customs official said.

Customs sources said the syndicate exploited Bhutan's open border arrangements to smuggle vehicles into India. The vehicles allegedly included luxury cars, premium SUVs, superbikes, condemned military vehicles and heavy transport vehicles.

According to Customs, some vehicles were driven across the border under the guise of tourist vehicles and handed over to Indian operatives, while others were dismantled and transported as completely knocked-down (CKD) kits inside freight containers to evade customs scrutiny.

The arrest comes days after Customs intensified enforcement action in Kerala and seized eight premium SUVs from different locations across the state. During the operation, officials also arrested Zain Marva, a partner of the Kozhikode-based luxury vehicle dealership Roadway Cars.

Investigators allege that Marva acted as a local distributor for the smuggled vehicles and worked closely with the international network. Customs officials said Biswadip Das routed vehicles to Roadway Cars through a Delhi-based intermediary.

Operation Numkhor was launched in September 2025 with coordinated raids at around 30 locations across Kerala. Since then, investigators have seized several high-value vehicles and expanded the probe to include luxury car owners, dealers and transport officials.

Among the vehicles seized recently was a Nissan Patrol SUV from Signature Cars in Kalamassery, which had gained attention after being featured in actor Dulquer Salmaan's film Lucky Baskhar.

The investigation has also uncovered what officials describe as a large-scale registration fraud involving transport department officials in multiple states.

Earlier this year, Customs and police arrested five persons, including Dipak Patowary, District Transport Officer (DTO) of Bongaigaon in Assam. In a parallel probe, Assam Police arrested seven more individuals, including the Joint DTO, in connection with the alleged fraudulent registration of 464 vehicles.

Investigators said that the syndicate used forged documents to falsely show smuggled foreign vehicles as vehicles originally registered in Lakshadweep before securing fresh registrations through the Bongaigaon Regional Transport Office in Assam. The vehicles were then sold to buyers, particularly in Kerala, as legally registered vehicles.

Customs officials said they have now prepared a watchlist of at least 200 suspected smuggled luxury vehicles currently operating in Kerala.

The officers have so far identified two major regional networks involved in the operation — one based in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, and another operating through Assam. They suspect that transport department insiders in multiple states deliberately assisted the syndicate by manipulating records on the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways' Parivahan database.

Yash has been brought to Kochi for further interrogation as Customs seeks to identify additional buyers, brokers and public officials allegedly linked to the racket.