Customs officials raided the houses of Mollywood actors Prithviraj and Dulquer Salmaan in Kochi today.
The raids were part of Operation Numkhor, which seeks to identify tax evasion, Manorama online reported. Reports said that officials discovered that luxury cars were being brought illegally into the state from Bhutan and being resold in a racket. Sources also indicate that the raid is linked to the alleged purchase and resale of high-end Bhutanese army vehicles initially brought in through Himachal Pradesh at low auction prices.
A gang reportedly sold the vehicles to celebrities across the country at inflated prices.
The racket was first discovered by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and has been shared with the Motor Vehicles Department.
The raids were conducted in Prithviraj’s home, located in Thevara and Dulquer Salmaan’s residence in Panampally.
Reports say that the officers returned from Prithviraj’s house as they did not find anything.
The inspections are being conducted in over 30 locations in 5 districts across Kerala. The raids are also being conducted at the homes of industrialists.
A similar probe took place in 2012 when a religious leader was investigated by the DRI for not paying taxes while importing luxury cars from Bhutan.