Kochi City police have registered their first criminal case linked to Operation Numkhor, a Customs operation targeting smuggled vehicles. The operation last year seized 49 high-value second-hand cars suspected to have been smuggled from Bhutan. Ernakulam Central police filed the case after Muhammed Yahya, 22, from Edappally, complained he was cheated while buying a Toyota Land Cruiser for ₹14 lakh from a Delhi agent, Rohit Bedi. The vehicle was falsely claimed to have belonged to the Indian Embassy. Yahya paid ₹50,000 in cash first, then ₹4.5 lakh by bank transfer, followed by another ₹5 lakh cash and ₹4 lakh bank transfer on delivery. The case is registered under IPC Sections 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating). In September 2025, the Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate seized 36 suspected smuggled cars in statewide raids. From then, total seizures rose to 49, including vehicles owned by actors Dulquer Salmaan and Amit Chakkalackal. Dulquer had approached Kerala High Court for their release. The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) also began a probe under the Foreign Exchange Management Act. They raided 17 locations across Kerala and Tamil Nadu, including homes of actors Prithviraj, Dulquer Salmaan, and Amit Chakkalackal, vehicle owners, workshops, and traders. Investigations uncovered a Coimbatore-based network using forged documents claiming to be from the Indian Army, U.S. Embassy, and Ministry of External Affairs. They used fake RTO registrations in Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and other states to smuggle and sell cars cheaply to high-net-worth individuals and film stars. This vehicle smuggling issue was reportedly discussed in Home Secretary talks between India and Bhutan in October last year.