Dulquer Salmaan’s house, 17 locations raided by ED in luxury car smuggling probe

Over 40 vehicles, including high-end SUVs, have been seized amid suspicions of FEMA violations and fake registrations

October 8, 2025

40 luxury cars seized as investigation expands across South India

Luxury car smuggling probe widens as ED searches homes of top Malayalam actors

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday conducted raids at the home of Malayalam superstar Dulquer Salmaan and over a dozen other locations across Kerala and Tamil Nadu as part of a probe into an alleged luxury car smuggling racket operating between Bhutan and India, according to sources.

Searches were carried out at 17 premises across both states, including properties linked to film stars Dulquer Salmaan, Prithviraj Sukumaran, and Amith Chackalakal, as well as luxury car owners, auto workshops, and traders in Coimbatore, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, and Kottayam.

Officials said the raids were conducted under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) after Customs unearthed large-scale smuggling of luxury vehicles and unauthorised foreign exchange transactions. Kerala has been a key focus of the ongoing investigation.

Since the previous round of searches in September, authorities have seized at least 40 high-end vehicles allegedly linked to the film actors, including a Nissan Patrol SUV and a Land Rover Defender belonging to Salmaan. Chackalakal’s Land Rover was also seized amid suspicions of direct links to the smuggling network.

Sources said the probe has uncovered a syndicate involved in illegally importing and registering luxury cars such as Toyota Land Cruisers, Land Rovers, and Maseratis through the Bhutan and Nepal routes. A Coimbatore-based network is suspected of orchestrating the racket, using forged documents from the Indian Army, the Ministry of External Affairs, and the US Embassy to obtain fraudulent vehicle registrations in Arunachal Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh.

The illegally imported vehicles were then sold to high-net-worth individuals (HNIs), including celebrities, at undervalued prices. Authorities suspect violations under FEMA, including unauthorised foreign exchange transactions and hawala-based cross-border payments.

Officials are now tracing the money trail and identifying beneficiaries, import facilitators, and financial intermediaries involved in the racket.

Customs sources said the luxury vehicle market has long been vulnerable to tax evasion and smuggling, often requiring “rigorous inspection and inter-agency coordination.” Prominent car showrooms in Kerala have also come under scrutiny as part of the widening probe.

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