Tue Sep 23 09:45:45 UTC 2025: **Headline: Luxury Car Tax Evasion Crackdown: Raids Target Actors Prithviraj and Dulquer Salmaan in Kerala**

**Thiruvananthapuram, India –** A nationwide operation targeting luxury car tax evasion, codenamed ‘Numkhor,’ has been launched by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and Customs, with Kerala emerging as a major focal point. High-profile inspections are currently underway at 30 locations across the districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Kottayam, Kozhikode, and Malappuram.

The operation has drawn significant attention due to inspections at the residences of prominent actors Prithviraj and Dulquer Salmaan. However, officials were reportedly unable to locate the suspected vehicles at the actors’ homes.

Customs officials, in collaboration with the Motor Vehicles Department, are also conducting thorough checks at prominent car showrooms throughout the state. According to officials, vehicles suspected of tax evasion will be seized, and notices will be issued to individuals from whom the vehicles are seized, requiring them to produce relevant documentation.

Investigations have revealed a scheme involving the importation of eight types of high-end vehicles into India via Bhutan to evade taxes. The vehicles are initially registered in Himachal Pradesh before being transported to various parts of India, with registration numbers often altered to conceal their origin.

Authorities emphasized that the operation is a systematic effort targeting both showrooms and individual importers suspected of tax evasion. The inclusion of celebrity residences in the inspections has attracted widespread media attention, but officials clarified that the operation is strictly procedural and part of a nationwide effort to safeguard revenue and enforce compliance.

Officials indicated that the ‘Numkhor’ operation would continue in multiple phases, focusing on documentation, registration procedures, and transportation routes. The ongoing investigation reflects the government’s determination to prevent sophisticated tax evasion in the luxury automobile sector, while sending a clear message that no importer is beyond the reach of law.

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