Kochi:In a major crackdown on luxury car tax evasion, officials attached to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and Customs have launched a nationwide operation, codenamed 'Numkhor', with Kerala emerging as a key focus area.

High-profile inspections are underway at 30 locations across Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Kottayam, Kozhikode, and Malappuram districts.

Among the notable sites are the residences of actors Prithviraj and Dulquer Salmaan, highlighting the operation's wide-ranging scope.Also on the radar are high-profile people in Kerala.

Officials, however, though they reached the actors' homes, were unable to locate the suspected vehicles.Customs officials, working closely with the Motor Vehicles Department, are also conducting thorough checks at prominent car showrooms across the state.

According to the officials, they will seize the vehicles, and notices will be served to those from whom the vehicles are seized and they will be asked to produce the relevant papers of the vehicles. Investigations have revealed that eight types of high-end vehicles were imported into India via Bhutan, with taxes evaded.

The scheme involves first registering the vehicles in Himachal Pradesh before transporting them to various parts of India, with registration numbers often altered to conceal their origin.

Source:Ndtv