3 min readKochiJul 3, 2026 11:12 AM IST
It appears troubles are far from over for actor Dulquer Salmaan in the case pertaining to the alleged smuggling of luxury vehicles from Bhutan, as the Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate is reportedly gearing up to question him again. Although the officials had grilled him for about seven hours at the department’s Kochi office on Wednesday, July 1, reports say they were dissatisfied with his responses.
What is Operation Numkhor?
It may be recalled that four luxury vehicles in the actor’s possession were seized during searches conducted on his premises in September 2025 as part of Operation Numkhor, and he was subsequently directed to produce documents related to them, according to news agency PTI.
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The searches were carried out to trace those allegedly bringing vehicles from Bhutan into India using fake registrations to evade taxes. Searches were also conducted at the residences of actors Prithviraj Sukumaran and Amit Chakkalakkal at the time.
As the investigations progressed, Dulquer was summoned to the Customs Department’s Kochi office and questioned on Wednesday. Although the actor maintained that he bought the vehicles through legal channels, Asianet News has reported that the officials are not satisfied with his disclosures. The main reason is that the authorities suspect there are more such vehicles registered under his name, but Dulquer has yet to reveal their current locations.
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Customs tracking Dulquer Salmaan’s vehicles
Investigators are reportedly searching for these vehicles, conducting inspections in Chennai and other parts of the state. Dulquer, however, remains firm in his stance that he bought the vehicles from sellers in India and was unaware if they were involved in any tax evasion. But the Customs officials believe the case is more complex and needs further investigation.
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According to Mathrubhumi News, officials suspect that the actor bought four more vehicles smuggled from Bhutan, evading tax, and have asked him to submit documents for these vehicles. These four are in addition to the initial four they had seized, of which two were released to him later after a court order. The remaining two are still in the Customs Department’s custody. Dulquer will reportedly be summoned again after the authorities inspect the new documents.
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Dulquer Salmaan’s upcoming film amid legal turmoil
The son of acting legend Mammootty, Dulquer Salmaan is currently gearing up for the release of director Nahas Hidhayath’s Malayalam film I’m Game, which will hit the screens in August, coinciding with the Onam season. He was last seen in director Selvamani Selvaraj’s Kaantha (2025).
Dulquer Salmaan will be summoned again after the authorities inspect the new documents. (Credit: Facebook/@DQSalmaan)