Malayalam actor Dulquer Salmaan has once again found himself in the spotlight as the Customs Preventive Department continues its investigation into an alleged luxury car smuggling network linked to vehicles brought into India through the Bhutan border. The case is part of a wider crackdown on suspected tax evasion and illegal vehicle imports. While the actor has maintained that he purchased the vehicles through legal channels, the investigation is still underway as officials continue to examine the case documents.
Customs to question Dulquer Salmaan again
According to reports by Mathrubhumi, Customs officials are preparing to question Dulquer Salmaan again after analysing the statements he gave 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 fresh questioning is said to be part of the ongoing investigation and comes after the agency reviewed his earlier responses. So far, the Customs Department has not made any allegation of wrongdoing against the actor, and the inquiry remains at the investigation stage.
Four luxury cars under the scanner
The investigation is being carried out under “Operation Numkhor,” a special drive launched by the Customs Preventive Department to probe the alleged illegal import of luxury vehicles from Bhutan into India. As part of the operation, officials earlier 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 released to the actor following a court order after he furnished a substantial bank guarantee. The court also directed that the vehicles should be produced whenever required by investigators and should not be taken outside the state without prior permission.
Actor maintains he bought the vehicles legally
Dulquer Salmaan has consistently maintained that he had no knowledge of any alleged irregularities involving the vehicles. According to reports, the actor told Customs officials that he purchased all the luxury cars legally from previous owners in India using valid documents and banking transactions. Meanwhile, the wider Operation Numkhor investigation is focused on an alleged network accused of importing luxury vehicles through forged documentation to evade taxes. This probe is said to be spanning several states including Kerala, Assam, and Rajasthan, as investigators try to dig out information regarding the possible smuggling ring. The probe is still on, and the investigating body has not made any findings public yet.
