Kochi Native Cheated in Bhutanese Luxury Car Smuggling Racket

A Kochi resident was allegedly cheated by a Delhi-based car dealer who sold him a smuggled luxury vehicle from Bhutan. Following the Customs department's 'Operation Numkhor', the police have filed a cheating case against the dealer. The complainant seeks legal action, and police investigations are ongoing.

A probe has been initiated in Kochi after a local resident accused a Delhi-based car dealer of selling him a luxury vehicle smuggled from Bhutan, police reported on Monday.

The incident came to light following 'Operation Numkhor,' a Customs department initiative targeting illegal car imports from Bhutan, resulting in multiple vehicle seizures last year.

The Ernakulam Central Police registered a case on Sunday based on a complaint from a 22-year-old man, accusing used car dealer Rohit Bedi of fraudulently selling him a Toyota Land Cruiser purportedly linked to the Indian Embassy in Bhutan for Rs 14 lakh.

Payment records indicate the complainant provided Rs 50,000 in cash and transferred Rs 4.5 lakh via bank, with further cash and bank transfers totaling Rs 9 lakh. After realizing the car's illicit origin, which included re-registration in Himachal Pradesh, the complainant pursued legal action.

Customs later seized the Land Cruiser under 'Operation Numkhor' and returned it to the owner. Police investigations continue as they collaborate with Customs to uncover the racket's modus operandi.

This marks the first state-registered illegal vehicle importation case post-'Operation Numkhor,' which exposed extensive smuggling networks previously involving high-profile individuals, police noted.

(With inputs from agencies.)