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The Customs and Central Excise department in Kerala on Tuesday launched searches on the premises of film professionals, businessmen and used car dealerships as part of an investigation into allegations of SUVs being smuggled to Kerala from Bhutan.
The premises that were searched include houses of popular Malayalam actors Dulquer Salmaan and Prithviraj Sukumaran. However, actors and others who may have bought smuggled vehicles may not be part of the racket that is under investigation, sources said.
Customs sources said pre-owned expensive SUVs from Bhutan had allegedly been smuggled into India, evading tax, and sold to businessmen and film professionals in Kerala. Searches are going on at two dozen locations in the state.
On the alleged smuggling operation, the sources said, “Vehicles are brought to border states, either by road or concealed in containers. WIth forged documents, these expensive SUVs are then registered in Himachal Pradesh before being sold in Kerala. We have found vehicles bearing the registrations of Karnataka and Maharashtra, apart from Himachal Pradesh. The end users, mainly celebrities who are interested in such vehicles, may not be directly part of the racket, which comprises dealers of used vehicles as well as agents and middlemen,” the sources said.
They further said, “These used vehicles, bought at throwaway prices, are given a makeover in India, before being resold at premium prices. During the raids so far, we have even come across 1991-made SUVs smuggled from Bhutan. However, we are mainly looking at new vehicles which have been brought to Kerala within the last two years.”
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