Overview

• Searches are underway at roughly 30 locations across Kerala, including Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Kuttippuram and Thrissur.
• Customs confirmed inspections at the Kochi residences of actors Prithviraj Sukumaran and Dulquer Salmaan, where officers examined ownership records and vehicle papers.
• Investigators describe a scheme that moved premium SUVs from Bhutan, including ex-army auction units, then used fake addresses for registrations in Himachal Pradesh before resale.
• Officials cite 10 to 15 procedural violations, including alleged forgeries on the Motor Vehicles Department’s Parivahan portal, and stress the focus on dealers and intermediaries rather than end buyers.
• The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence first flagged suspicious imports, and the ongoing operation may proceed in phases as authorities identify more than 100 implicated vehicles.