Bhutan Car Smuggling Case: Dulquer Salmaan and Prithviraj Sukumaran's Residences Face ED Raids

The

Kochi Zonal Office of the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Wednesday, October 8, raided 17 locations across Kerala and Tamil Nadu as part of an investigation into the alleged smuggling of high-end pre-owned luxury vehicles and unauthorised foreign exchange transactions.under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). Among the premises raided was residence of film stars Dulquer Salmaan, Prithviraj Sukumaran, and Amit Chakkalakkal.

Residence of actors Dulquer Salmaan, Prithviraj Sukumaran Face ED Raids

This has taken place after operations carried out by the Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate, at over 30 locations, on September 23, 2025. During those raids, 37 high-value second-hand cars were suspected to have been smuggled in from Bhutan over the past few years were seized.

During its raid, named Numkhor (meaning vehicle in the Bhutanese language), Customs teams fanned out across Kerala based on a list of 150 to 200 vehicles named for irregularities in a report by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. These vehicles were suspected to have been smuggled into Kerala by a Coimbatore-based racket.While officials visited Prithviraj’s residence in Kochi, no vehicle was seized from the premises.Dulquer Salmaan has since approached the Kerala High Court where he sought a leagl route to help in the release of his vehicles. On Tuesday, the court directed him to approach the adjudicating authority under the Customs Act to seek the release of one of his high-end SUVs. The court instructed that if valid documents are submitted, the department should decide on the matter within a week.