Mammootty, Dulquer Salmaan Under ED Lens: All About the Luxury Car Smuggling Case

ED (Enforcement Directorate) action against Malayalam stars continued as officials conducted fresh searches at a property linked to Mammootty on Greenways Road in Chennai on Wednesday (October 8). The raids came in the backdrop of an investigation into the alleged Bhutan luxury car smuggling case.

As many as eight ED officers, accompanied by CRPF personnel, carried out the operation targeting the premises of Wayfarer Films — a production company associated with the actor.

The latest round of raids follows searches by the ED’s Kochi Zonal Office at 17 locations across Kerala and Tamil Nadu in connection with an ongoing probe into the smuggling of luxury vehicles and unauthorized foreign exchange transactions.

Actors Prithviraj Sukumaran, Dulquer Salmaan, and Amith Chakalakkal were among the film personalities whose residences and business establishments were searched. Besides the actors, raids were also conducted at premises linked to vehicle owners, auto workshops, and traders in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Kottayam, and Coimbatore.

Preliminary investigations indicate that a Coimbatore-based network is at the centre of the alleged scam, which used forged documents claiming ties with the Indian Army, US Embassy, and Ministry of External Affairs to secure fraudulent vehicle registrations in States such as Arunachal Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh.

These luxury vehicles were then sold at significantly undervalued prices to high-net-worth individuals, including film celebrities.

The raids at Mammootty’s property came a day after the Kerala High Court directed his son and actor Dulquer Salmaan to approach the adjudicating authority under the Customs Act, 1962, for the provisional release of his Land Rover Defender, which was earlier seized as part of Operation Numkhoru.

The actor told the court he had purchased the vehicle five years ago from Aarpee Promoters Pvt. Ltd., making the payment through formal banking channels.
He emphasized that his purchase was supported by customs clearance, invoices, and delivery documents.

The Customs Department, however, maintained its right to seize the car, citing an ongoing probe and intelligence inputs. More than 150 such illegally imported vehicles are believed to be in Kerala, with around 40 already seized. Two of Dulquer’s other cars were also confiscated earlier, a move he did not contest.