Malayalam actor Dulquer Salmaan The Customs Preventive Department has once again found itself in the spotlight as it continues to investigate an alleged luxury car smuggling network linked to vehicles brought into India through the Bhutanese border. The case is part of a wider crackdown on suspected tax evasion and illegal vehicle imports. Although the actor has maintained that he bought the vehicle through legal channels, the investigation is still on as officials continue to examine the documents in the case.
Customs to question Dulquer Salman again
According to a Matrubhumi report, customs officials are preparing to re-interrogate Dulquer Salmaan after analyzing the statements he made during the previous round of questioning, which reportedly lasted for over seven hours. Officials have asked the actor to submit additional documents related to the luxury vehicle under investigation. The new inquiry is said to be part of an ongoing investigation and comes after the agency reviews its previous responses. So far, the customs department has not filed any wrongdoing against the actor and the probe is in the investigative stage.
Four luxury cars under the scanner
The investigation is being conducted under “Operation Numkhor”, a special operation launched by the Customs Preventive Department to probe the alleged illegal import of luxury vehicles from Bhutan into India. As part of the raid, officials have seized four luxury vehicles previously associated with Dulquer Salmaan, including a Land Rover Defender, a Toyota Land Cruiser, a Nissan Patrol and another Nissan used in one of his films. The cars were released to the actor after a court order after providing adequate bank guarantee. The court also directed that the vehicles should be produced whenever required by the investigators and should not be taken out of the state without prior permission.
The actor claims that he bought the vehicle legally
Dulquer Salmaan has consistently maintained that he had no knowledge of any irregularities involving the vehicle. According to reports, the actor told customs officials that he purchased all the luxury cars legally from the previous owners in India using valid documents and banking transactions. Meanwhile, the investigation into the larger Operation Numkho is focused on a network accused of importing luxury vehicles through fake documentation to evade taxes. The investigation is said to span several states, including Kerala, Assam and Rajasthan, as investigators try to unearth information related to possible smuggling rings. The investigation is still ongoing, and the investigating agency has yet to release any findings.
