Kochi, Sep 23 (PTI) Sleuths from the Customs Preventive on Tuesday carried out raids at multiple locations across Kerala to track down, identify and seize high-end luxury vehicles brought illegally to India from Bhutan with forged documents that have seals of the Army and the US Embassy.

Searches were carried out at around 30 locations, including at the residences of movie stars Prithviraj Sukumaran, Dulquer Salman and Amit Chakkalackal, across the state and 36 high-end luxury cars were seized, Commissioner of the Customs Preventive Commissionerate in Kochi, T Tiju, told a press conference here.

Giving details of raids -- codenamed "Operation Numkhor" -- he said that many of these vehicles, brought illegally to India and sold in the country, were also used to smuggle gold and drugs and cases have been lodged in connection with that.

"If they can smuggle cars, gold and narcotics like this, then they can bring anything else. Therefore, it is a major threat to national and economic security of the country," he emphasised.

The Customs Preventive Commissioner also said that their initial probe revealed various other illegalities like income tax and GST evasion as well as money laundering in connection with the smuggled vehicles.

Besides that, it was also looking into whether the funds from such illegalities were used for terrorist activities, he added.

In the Bhutanese language, 'Numkhor' means 'vehicle' and the raids were carried out simultaneously at Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Malappuram, among others during the day, the Commissioner said.

Outlining the modus operandi of the gang behind the illegal import of high-end vehicles to India via Bhutan, the official said that "the cars were brought into India either in completely knocked-down condition or inside containers or driven into the country in the guise of tourist vehicles." "After the vehicles are brought to India, they are registered in different parts of the country using carefully forged documents. Significantly, the Indian Army's and foreign embassies', including the US Embassy's, name, seal and their insignia are forged to register these vehicles," Tiju said.

He said that in this manner, these institutions are being misused to mislead the buyers that the vehicles belonged to the Army or the embassies.

Additionally, manipulations have also been carried out, either by hacking or using moles, on the Parivahan website to show these vehicles belonged to the Army or the embassies or that they have been in use for a long time, the official said.

Giving an example, he said that a vehicle manufactured in 2014 was shown on the Parivahan website as being registered and in use since 2005.

Tiju further said that many of these vehicles were later bought or sold through illegal transactions regarding which there are no documents or money trail.

These vehicles were also brought to India with forged documents from which it cannot be ascertained who was the original owner, he said.

The official said that around 30 locations were raided during the day with the assistance of the Transport Commissionerate of Kerala, ATS and the state police, he added.

The raids were based on specific intelligence that 'high value second-hand cars' are being smuggled into India through the Indo-Bhutan border, he added.

He further said that the agency's initial probe has revealed that most of the vehicles are owned by high-net-worth individuals, like Prithviraj and Dulquer, who "knowingly or unknowingly" had purchased such vehicles.

"No vehicle of Prithviraj was seized, but two of Dulquer Salmaan have been identified," the official said.

He said that statements of such individuals will be recorded and documents of their vehicles will be examined to ascertain whether they were aware of the illegalities.

"Summons will be issued to them to appear before us for recording their statements," Tiju said.

He said that if it is found that the vehicles were brought to India illegally, whether their current owners were aware of it or not, they would be seized.

If the owners were aware of the illegalities, then they would also face action, he added.

He said that there were around 150-200 such vehicles in Kerala alone, of which 36 were seized during the day's operations and the raids will continue till the remaining ones are also taken into custody.

He said that these vehicles are not registered in Kerala and run in the state in the names of unknown persons who are difficult to trace. "Therefore, such vehicles are a threat to us," he added.

The official said that such vehicles are there in other states as well and therefore, there was a scope for an all-India operation. PTI HMP TGB HMP KH