Operation Numkhor: Customs raids actor Prithviraj, Dulquer Salmaan's houses in Kochi

KOCHI: Customs officials are conducting inspections at the residences of Malayalam film actors Prithviraj and Dulquer Salmaan as part of Operation Numkhor. The inspections are ongoing at Prithviraj's house in Thevara and Dulquer Salmaan's house in Panampilly Nagar.

Operation Numkhor is conducted nationwide by customs officials following the discovery that luxury cars were being smuggled into India from Bhutan with the intention of evading taxes. The team reached Prithviraj's house in Thiruvananthapuram but had to return as there were no vehicles there. Inspections are being carried out at 30 locations in Kerala today.

There are certain exemptions when importing luxury vehicles from abroad to Bhutan. These vehicles are later registered with fake addresses and smuggled to various parts of India. There will be agents in India to furtively complete the deal. Customs were shrewdly monitoring the agents in India for some time now. In the ensuing investigation focused on them, the customer list was found, and it is alleged that the names even included those of film stars and other business magnates.

Customs found that vehicles imported from Bhutan are being registered in India as old vehicles to evade tax. Inspections are being conducted at around 30 centres in the state under the leadership of the Commissioner in charge of Kerala and Lakshadweep. Apart from the actors, inspections are also ongoing at the house of a businessman from Kalamassery and vehicle dealers based in Malappuram and Kozhikode.