ED raids prominent actors, agents in Kerala luxury cars smuggling case
Kochi (PTI): The ED on Wednesday raided premises linked to actors Prithviraj Sukumaran, Dulquer Salmaan and Amit Chakkalackal and some others across Kerala and in Tamil Nadu as part of an investigation linked to a recent Customs case related to alleged smuggling of luxury vehicles from Bhutan to India, official sources said.
The searches by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) also covered certain vehicle owners, auto workshops, and traders in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Kottayam and Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu).
A total of 17 premises are being covered, the sources said.
The action is being taken under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) in a recent case unearthed by the Customs Preventive department related to alleged smuggling of luxury vehicles and unauthorised foreign exchange dealings, they said.
The searches are based on inputs about a syndicate engaged in illegal import and registration of high-end cars such as Land Cruiser, Defender, and Maserati through the India-Bhutan and India-Nepal routes, they said.
Preliminary findings, according to the officials, point to a Coimbatore-based network that used "forged" documents (purporting to be from Indian Army, US Embassy, and MEA) and fraudulent RTO registrations in Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and some other states.
The vehicles were later sold to high-net worth (HNI) individuals, including film personalities, at undervalued prices, they alleged.
The ED suspects that the case bears "prima facie" violations of Sections 3, 4, and 8 of FEMA that involves unauthorised foreign exchange transactions and cross-border payments through hawala channels.
In a linked development, the Kerala High Court on Tuesday allowed Dulquer Salmaan to file an application for the provisional release of his vehicle seized by the Customs Preventive Department and directed the agency to consider it within one week if such a plea is filed.
According to Dulquer, the vehicle was shipped by the International Committee of the Red Cross to the ICRC Regional Delegation in New Delhi.
In his petition, the actor stated that he was under the bona fide belief that the vehicle had valid ownership and registration with the Motor Vehicle Authority, and there was nothing to make him suspect its validity.
The actor claimed that Customs officials refused to examine the vehicle's documents handed over to them and carried out the seizure in a hasty and arbitrary fashion.
The Customs officials conducted raids at around 30 locations across Kerala on September 23, including the homes of the three actors, and seized 36 luxury cars.
The raids, part of 'Operation Numkhor', revealed that some of these vehicles were also used to smuggle gold and drugs.
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Lebanon appoints new representative for talks with Israel, rejects linkage to Iran
Beirut: Lebanon’s has moved to underline its independent position in ongoing regional developments, amid attempts to link the country to the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
President Joseph Aoun, while announcing the appointment of former US ambassador Simon Karam as Lebanon’s representative in talks with Israel, made it clear that Karam would be the sole representative for Lebanon and that there would be no substitute.
The move comes in response to what the Lebanese officials see as efforts by Iran to tie Lebanon’s situation to the wider regional conflict. Iran had indicated that there would be no ceasefire involving the US, Israel and Iran unless it also included a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Some groups, including Hezbollah and its supporters, had expressed support for linking the situations, citing concerns that the Lebanese government has limited leverage in negotiations with Israel. Lebanon is not formally a party to the conflict, and its army is considered weak.
However, others, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, have opposed this approach. They view Iran’s stance as an attempt to influence Lebanon’s internal affairs and see it as undermining the country’s sovereignty.
Officials backing the government’s position say the move is aimed at reaffirming Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring that decisions about peace and ceasefire within the country are not dictated externally.
They also see it as a safeguard, so that any breakdown in talks between the US, Israel and Iran does not automatically lead to renewed conflict in Lebanon.
