ED raids 17 Kerala-Tamil Nadu sites in luxury car, illegal forex probe; actors Prithviraj, Dulquer Salman, Amith linked

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday conducted raids across 17 locations in Kerala and Tamil Nadu as part of its ongoing probe into a luxury car smuggling and illegal foreign exchange network, officials said.

The searches included the residences of film stars Prithviraj, Dulquer Salman, and Amit Chakkalackal, as well as premises linked to certain vehicle owners, auto workshops, and traders in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Kottayam, and Coimbatore.

The action, carried out under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), follows a recent Customs investigation that unearthed alleged smuggling of high-end vehicles from Bhutan into India. Intelligence inputs revealed a syndicate engaged in illegal import and registration of luxury cars such as Land Cruiser, Defender, and Maserati through Indo-Bhutan and Nepal routes.


Preliminary investigations indicate that the Coimbatore-based network used forged documents purporting to be issued by the Indian Army, US Embassy, and Ministry of External Affairs, alongside fraudulent RTO registrations in Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and other states. These vehicles were later sold to high-net-worth individuals, including film personalities, at undervalued prices.

The ED said the operation aims to probe unauthorized foreign exchange transactions and cross-border payments allegedly routed through hawala channels, detecting prima facie violations of Sections 3, 4, and 8 of FEMA.

Further, Officials are now tracing the money trail, the network of beneficiaries, and the movement of funds linked to the syndicate.