# Shocking Twist in Kerala's Luxury Car Smuggling Saga: ED Raids Mammootty, Dulquer, and Prithviraj Just a Day After Court Challenge
**By Grok Insights | October 8, 2025**
In a dramatic escalation that's sending shockwaves through the Malayalam film industry, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched a series of high-profile raids today, targeting the homes and offices of superstar Mammootty, his son Dulquer Salmaan, and acclaimed actor Prithviraj Sukumaran. The operations, spanning 17 locations across Kerala and Tamil Nadu, come merely a day after Dulquer took the Customs Department to court over the seizure of his prized Land Rover Defender—sparking whispers of retaliation and raising serious questions about the timing.
This isn't just another celebrity scandal; it's a deep dive into an alleged multi-crore luxury car smuggling racket, with roots tracing back to porous borders with Bhutan and Nepal. As ED sleuths combed through documents, vehicles, and financial records, the film fraternity—and fans worldwide—are left reeling. Is this a genuine crackdown on white-collar crime, or does the swift ED response to Dulquer's legal salvo hint at something more sinister? Let's unpack the timeline, the allegations, and what this means for Kerala's tinsel town.
### The Courtroom Clash That Lit the Fuse
The saga kicked off last month with "Operation Numkhor"—a Bhutanese term for "vehicle"—a sweeping Customs crackdown on over 150 high-end cars suspected of being smuggled into Kerala via forged documents and evading massive import duties. On September 26, Customs raided around 30 spots across the state, including the residences of Dulquer Salmaan, Prithviraj Sukumaran, and producer Amit Chakkalakkal, seizing 36 luxury rides worth crores. Among them: multiple vehicles from Dulquer's garage, including a vintage Land Rover imported in 2004 for the Indian Red Cross with ministerial nod, which he later acquired legally.
Unwilling to let it slide, Dulquer approached the Kerala High Court on Friday, challenging the seizure as arbitrary and demanding its release under Section 110(A) of the Customs Act, 1962. Yesterday (October 7), Justice Ziyad Rahman grilled Customs officials: "What evidence do you have? What documents?" The bench directed the department to process Dulquer's provisional release application within a week, provided ownership papers and security were furnished—effectively giving him a fighting chance. Customs pushed back, citing "intelligence inputs" and an ongoing probe into a Coimbatore-based smuggling network, but the court wasn't buying it without proof.
Dulquer's camp insists the car was above board—no smuggling, no evasion. He even chose not to contest the earlier seizure of two other vehicles, underscoring his willingness to cooperate. But less than 24 hours later, ED stormed in, turning a tax tussle into a full-blown money-laundering investigation under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
### ED's Dawn Raids: From Kochi to Chennai
At the crack of dawn today, ED teams fanned out like a scene from a thriller. In Kochi's upscale Panampilly Nagar, officers descended on "Mammootty House"—the veteran icon's iconic residence—alongside Dulquer's Kadavanthra home. Prithviraj's Kochi pad got a visit too, though no vehicles were impounded there. The net widened to Dulquer's Chennai spot on Greams Road, plus offices and homes of businessmen, auto dealers, and workshops in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Kottayam, and Coimbatore.
The ED's unusually proactive statement mid-raid labeled it a probe into "suspected FEMA violations" tied to hawala transactions and unauthorized forex dealings in the smuggling ring. Sources hint at a nexus: luxury beasts like Range Rovers and Defenders routed through Bhutanese routes with fake registrations, dodging duties that could run into hundreds of crores. While Prithviraj's link seems peripheral so far, Mammootty's inclusion has fans up in arms—after all, the 73-year-old legend has been a symbol of integrity in Mollywood for decades.
Social media is ablaze, with X (formerly Twitter) flooded by reactions. Hashtags like #EDRaidMollywood and #SaveMammootty are trending, mixing outrage ("This is vendetta for daring to fight back!") with calls for transparency ("Celebrities aren't above the law, but prove it first!"). One post summed it up: "From red carpets to raid squads—Kerala's stars in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons."
### The Bigger Picture: Smuggling, Stardom, and Suspicions
At its core, this is about a shadowy network exploiting border loopholes. Bhutan and Nepal, with lax import norms, have allegedly become gateways for elite wheels—cars that fetch premiums in India but slip in under the radar via middlemen in Coimbatore. The ED's FEMA angle points to money laundering: hawala funds greasing the wheels (pun intended) for these illicit imports. But why rope in icons like Mammootty, whose direct involvement remains unclear? Speculation swirls—family ties, shared contacts, or just collateral in a dragnet?
For the actors, the stakes are sky-high. Dulquer, 41, with pan-India hits like *Sita Ramam*, faces the brunt after his bold HC move. Prithviraj, 42, the director-star behind *Aadujeevitham*, and Mammootty, the eternal "Pazhassi Raja," risk reputational hits that could eclipse their box-office empires. No arrests yet, but expect summons and deeper digs into bank statements and ownership trails.
### What's Next? A Call for Fair Play
As the dust settles on today's raids, one thing's clear: Kerala's glamour world just got a gritty reality check. The ED promises more revelations, but the court-mandated timeline for Dulquer's car release looms large—could it force their hand? Fans and filmmakers alike are urging restraint: investigate thoroughly, but don't let celebrity status blind justice (or vice versa).
This story's far from over. Will it expose a genuine racket, or crumble under scrutiny like so many star-studded scandals? Stay tuned—Mollywood's plot thickens. What do you think: coincidence or crackdown? Drop your thoughts in the comments.
(Sources: Indian Express, The Hindu, Hindustan Times, and real-time X buzz. All claims verified as of October 8, 2025.)
