Crackdown on Car Smuggling Racket: Operation Numkhor Exposed

The Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate has arrested five individuals from West Bengal and Assam involved in smuggling high-end used cars from Bhutan. The bust, part of 'Operation Numkhor', revealed a scheme where vehicles were registered with forged documents. Over 15,000 cars with identical identifiers were involved.

In a strategic operation dubbed 'Operation Numkhor', the Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate has apprehended five individuals implicated in a sophisticated car smuggling network. These arrests took place in the Indian states of West Bengal and Assam, rippling through a clandestine operation trafficking high-end used cars from Bhutan.

This fraudulent scheme allegedly employed forged documents to re-register luxurious vehicles in various states, illegally circumventing customs duties. With assistance from local police and Customs formations, the investigation unearthed the involvement of 460 vehicles, shedding light on a significant criminal enterprise that has been running across northeastern India.

Crucially, a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India revealed that over 15,000 vehicles were duplicated with matching chassis and engine numbers--an alarming indication of the scheme's scale. The Customs department continues its probes, aiming to dismantle the network and bring the offenders to justice.

(With inputs from agencies.)