Malayalam actor Dulquer Salmaan has once again found itself in the spotlight as the Customs Enforcement Department continues its investigation into an alleged luxury car smuggling ring 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 purchased the vehicles legally, the investigation is still ongoing as officials continue to examine the documents in the case.
Customs to question Dulquer in Salma again
According to Mathrubhumi reports, customs officials are preparing to re-interrogate Dulquer Salmaan after analyzing the statements he made during an earlier round of questioning, which reportedly lasted for more than seven hours. Officials have also asked the actor to submit additional documents related to the luxury vehicles under scrutiny. The new questioning is said to be part of the ongoing investigation and comes after the agency revised its previous responses. So far, the Department of Customs has not filed any criminal charges against the actor, and the investigation remains in the investigative phase.
Four luxury cars under the scanner
The investigation is being conducted under ‘Operation Numkhor’, a special drive launched by the Customs Prevention Department to investigate the alleged illegal import of luxury vehicles from Bhutan into India. As part of the operation, officials seized four luxury vehicles linked to Dulquer Salmaan, including a Land Rover Defender, a Toyota Land Cruiser, a Nissan Patrol and another Nissan used in one of his films. The vehicles were later handed over to the actor following a court order after he provided a substantial bank guarantee. The court also ordered that the vehicles should be produced whenever required by investigators and should not be taken out of state without prior permission.
The actor maintains that he bought the vehicles legally
Dulquer Salmaan has consistently maintained that he was not aware of any alleged irregularities in the vehicles. The actor reportedly told customs officials that he bought all the luxury cars legally from previous owners in India through valid documents and bank transactions. Meanwhile, the wider investigation of Operation Numkhor focuses on an alleged network accused of importing luxury vehicles using forged documentation to evade taxes. This investigation is said to span several states including Kerala, Assam and Rajasthan as investigators try to find out information about the possible smuggling ring. The investigation is still ongoing and the investigating body has not yet made any findings public.