Brand new Innova to Thar: Excise to auction 1,300 seized vehicles across Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Excise Department will soon auction around 1,300 vehicles seized in connection with narcotics cases, including a range of luxury and two-wheeler vehicles.

The auctions will be held in all 14 district headquarters. Vehicles seized under NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) cases cannot be retained for departmental use or transferred to other departments as per legal provisions.

Excise officials said a total of 7,000 vehicles are currently in the department’s custody and will be auctioned in phases.

The first phase of the offline auction is expected within a month. Until now, the auctions were conducted through the central government’s MSTC (Metal Scrap Trade Corporation Limited) website. However, many refrained from taking part in the auction due to the requirement of a ₹10,000 registration fee, besides tax.

As a result, regular bidders included a few second-hand vehicle dealers and auction companies.

Among the vehicles in custody are high-end models like the Toyota Innova and the Mahindra Thar, some of which are reportedly brand new and yet to receive permanent registration numbers.

A committee comprising the Excise Commissioner, Assistant Executive Engineer of the Public Works Department, a representative from the Finance Department, and the Joint Secretary of Taxes will oversee the auction process.