36 vehicles seized in Kerala, sale of these vehicles was carried out using fake entries even on Parivahan website, says Customs Commissioner

KOCHI: Customs Commissioner Tiju Thomas said that 36 vehicles have been seized from various parts of Kerala as part of Operation Numkhor. He said that it has been found that nearly 200 such vehicles bought from Bhutan are in the state. He was briefing the media about the inspection carried out under the operation.

According to him, the vehicles were smuggled into India from Bhutan using fraudulent methods. "Many vehicles were registered under the names of the Indian Army, the American Embassy, or the Indian Embassy. It has been found that around 90 per cent of the vehicles on the list were brought in using fake documents. Illegal sales of such vehicles also involved evasion of GST," he said.

"The sale of these vehicles was carried out using fake entries, even on the Parivahan website. Many of them had no insurance or fitness certificates. Two vehicles belonging to actor Dulquer Salmaan were inspected, and one of them has been seized. The owners of the seized vehicles must appear in person. The cases cannot be settled by simply paying fines. Notices will be issued to Dulquer Salmaan, actor Amith Chakkalakkal, and others," the Customs Commissioner said.

If the offence is serious, action, including arrest, will follow. For minor violations, penalties will be imposed. “We seized 36 vehicles after confirming their illegal status,” the commissioner said. He added that one of Dulquer’s cars has already been taken to the Customs yard, while the other is yet to be moved as it lacks road fitness.