In a dramatic turn of events, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday raided the homes and offices of Malayalam film icons Mammootty, Dulquer Salmaan, and Prithviraj Sukumaran, as part of a probe into a luxury car smuggling racket spanning multiple states.
The searches carried out at&nbsp;17 locations across Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Coimbatore came just a day after Dulquer challenged Customs in the Kerala High Court over the seizure of his Land Rover Defender. According to the agency, the operation was launched under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) to uncover suspected hawala transactions and forged import documentation. A Coimbatore-based network allegedly smuggled high-end vehicles such as Land Cruisers, Defenders, and Maseratis into India through Bhutan and Nepal, using fake papers and undervalued registrations.
In its statement, the ED said preliminary findings show the syndicate relied on forged documents claiming links to the Army, the US Embassy, and the MEA, securing fraudulent vehicle registrations in states like Arunachal Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh before selling them to wealthy buyers.
Searches were conducted at Dulquer&rsquo;s Chennai and Kochi residences, including Mammootty&rsquo;s iconic Kadavanthra home, and offices linked to the actors. &ldquo;Further investigation is underway to trace the money trail, beneficiary network, and foreign exchange movement,&rdquo; the agency said.The timing of the raids just 24 hours after the actor&rsquo;s courtroom challenge has raised eyebrows in Kerala&rsquo;s political and film circles. During Tuesday&rsquo;s hearing, the High Court had questioned Customs for denying Dulquer provisional release of his vehicle without sufficient evidence.
For the ED, the swift action and public statement issued even before searches concluded appear to be an attempt to reclaim the narrative after criticism of Customs&rsquo; handling of &ldquo;Operation Numkhor,&rdquo; which had earlier seized 37 luxury cars. As the spotlight now shifts to Kerala&rsquo;s biggest stars, the ED insists this isn&rsquo;t about celebrity names but about a cross-border network moving cars, cash, and documents beyond the law.

ED Raids Dulquer, Mammootty, Prithviraj Homes

Raids follow Dulquer’s court move against Customs over seized luxury car

ED Raids Dulquer, Mammootty, Prithviraj Homes

Raids follow Dulquer’s court move against Customs over seized luxury car

October 9, 2025 | 24:59 IST