Fake owners, luxury cars and an 8-year trail: Kerala Customs cracks Bhutan racket

Kochi: A major investigation by Kochi Customs Preventive has uncovered what officials suspect is a large benami luxury vehicle network operating in Kerala using illegally imported Bhutanese SUVs and forged registration documents.

The probe, being carried out under “Operation Numkhor”, has revealed that several high-end vehicles allegedly brought into India through illegal channels were not registered in the names of their actual users. Instead, investigators found that many SUVs were registered under the names of friends, associates, drivers or vehicle dealers, while the real owners continued using the vehicles privately.

Customs officials suspect that the arrangement was deliberately designed to hide ownership and avoid legal scrutiny, especially because many buyers were reportedly aware that the Bhutan-linked vehicles could violate Indian customs and transport laws.

The case gained momentum after Customs seized eight Bhutan-linked vehicles in Kerala last week. During the investigation, authorities reportedly found irregularities in ownership papers, registration details and financial records. Officials are now examining whether black money transactions and tax evasion were also involved in the deals.

The investigation has further exposed links between Kerala and a wider vehicle registration scam in Assam. A report submitted by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India to the Assam Legislative Assembly stated that 15,849 vehicles across seven northeastern states allegedly shared identical chassis and engine numbers — a major red flag in vehicle registration systems. More than 12,000 of those registrations were reportedly traced to Assam alone.

Investigators believe the racket involved multiple methods, including illegally importing vehicles from Bhutan and reintroducing Indian-exported vehicles back into the country without paying customs duties. Luxury SUVs, private cars and even commercial vehicles were allegedly registered using forged documents.

The Kerala probe later extended to Assam and Bhutan, leading to police action in Assam’s Bongaigaon district. Assam Police arrested the District Transport Officer (DTO), Joint DTO and several others for allegedly registering 464 vehicles using fake records and forged documentation.

According to Customs officials, around 150 to 220 Bhutan-linked SUVs may have reached Kerala through this network over the past eight years. However, authorities have so far managed to trace only 57 vehicles, raising concerns that many more could still be operating across the state unnoticed.

Investigators are now tracking vehicle owners, financial transactions and interstate registration links to identify the complete network behind the alleged smuggling and benami ownership operation. Officials believe the findings could expose one of the biggest illegal luxury vehicle registration rackets linked to northeastern India in recent years.