KOCHI: What began as a probe into a few illegally imported luxury SUVs is now being broadened into one of the biggest vehicle-smuggling investigations handled by Kochi customs in recent years — exposing a suspected interstate network involving forged documents, benami owners and layered ownership chains.
Officers suspect that more than 200 such vehicles were smuggled into Kerala from Bhutan and Nepal using forged registration records and manipulated documents to evade customs duty.
“In many cases, the current holder may only be the third or fourth owner on paper. Every previous owner and every document has to be verified carefully,” a senior official involved in the probe said.
The recent arrest of Yash, a native of Jaipur, is being viewed as a significant development in the investigation. According to customs sources, Yash allegedly acted as a middleman between sellers and was also the registered owner of more than two suspected smuggled vehicles. Investigators believe his arrest further confirms the existence of multiple layers of registered ownership for a single vehicle within the smuggling network. With Yash’s arrest, seven people have so far been arrested in connection with the case.
Sources said some registered owners are suspected to be benamis or bogus identities created only for documentation purposes. In one recent seizure, customs reportedly found that a luxury SUV allegedly being used by a prominent person was officially registered in the name of another individual suspected to be a benami.
“One SUV itself may involve multiple linked individuals,” the official said.
Officials estimate that more than 400 individuals could eventually come under the scope of the inquiry in connection with the suspected smuggled vehicles.
The probe now involves scrutiny of registration, insurance and financial records linked to luxury vehicle resale networks. During the investigation, customs also uncovered suspected links to a fake registration racket operating in Assam.
Officials said recent findings indicate that several suspected vehicles were shifted outside Kerala after enforcement activity intensified in the state. Since some vehicles are suspected to have moved to neighbouring states, customs is coordinating with multiple agencies to track vehicle movement and ownership records.
“Some buyers may have purchased these SUVs believing the documents were genuine. Detailed enquiry is needed to determine who knowingly handled such vehicles and who may have acquired them without knowledge of the background,” another customs official said.
Earlier, customs had arrested Zain Marva, a partner of a luxury car showroom in Kozhikode. Investigators suspect links between him and Biswadip Das, one of the alleged masterminds of the interstate smuggling network arrested earlier this year in West Bengal by Kochi customs.
Officials said the probe is now evolving into a nationwide verification exercise involving ownership records spread across several states, and Operation Numkhor is expected to continue for several more months.