Custom Raids Lokah Producer Dulquer Salmaan, Prithviraj Sukumaran's Houses In Vehicles Import Case

In a major crackdown, the Customs Preventive wing on Tuesday raided the houses of Malayalam superstars Dulquer Salmaan and Prithviraj Sukumaran as part of Operation Numkhor.

The ongoing operation is aimed at busting a racket involving the illegal import of luxury vehicles from Bhutan using forged documents to evade tax.

The documents related to the actors' vehicles are under scrutiny. Raids were carried out in Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Malappuram, with authorities estimating that more than 100 high-end SUVs - including Land Rovers, Land Cruisers and Toyota Prados - may have been smuggled into Kerala, according to a report in Manorama.

The operation derives its name from the Bhutanese word Numkhor, meaning "vehicle." According to sources, at least 15 violations have already been identified. Actor Amit Chakkalackal has also come under the scanner in the case, Hindustan Times reported.

Neither Dulquer nor Prithviraj has issued a statement regarding the raids.

On the other hand, Dulquer Salmaan is basking in the success of Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra which had struck gold at the box office. Though he is not in the lead role, he appears in a small role and produced the flick.

The movie has Kalyani Priyadarshan in the lead and Naslen is in the key role. It has raked in over Rs 275 crore.

Whereas Prithviraj Sukumaran is basking in the success of The Goat Life and his directorial movie Empuraan, which had Mohanlal in the lead.