A raid was carried out by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at Malayalam megastar Mammootty’s property on Greenways Road in Chennai. On Wednesday, eight ED officers along with CRPF personnel searched the premises of Wayfarer Films — a production company associated with Mammootty. The raid is part of an ongoing investigation into luxury vehicle smuggling and illegal foreign exchange transactions. On the same day, the ED conducted raids at 17 other locations across Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Which film personalities and businesses are under ED’s radar?
The ED has searched the homes and business establishments of several prominent South Indian actors, including Prithviraj Sukumaran, Dulquer Salmaan, and Amith Chakalakkal. Raids were also conducted on luxury vehicle owners, automobile workshops, and traders based in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Kottayam, and Coimbatore. According to preliminary findings, a Coimbatore-based network allegedly used forged documents claiming connections with the Indian Army, the US Embassy, and the Ministry of External Affairs to fraudulently register vehicles in Arunachal Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. These vehicles were then sold to celebrities at heavily discounted prices.
What is Dulquer Salmaan’s involvement?
On September 23, two luxury vehicles belonging to actor Dulquer Salmaan were confiscated. Following this, the actor approached the Kerala High Court seeking the return of his vehicles. He argued that the seizure was unwarranted and had damaged his public image. In his statement, Dulquer said, “The media has sensationalized the seizure for ulterior motives, presenting the vehicle as if it were among others implicated in smuggling, drug trafficking, and anti-state activities. This has tarnished the petitioner’s image, harming his reputation.”
Wayfarer Films — the company raided by the ED — was established by Dulquer Salmaan in 2019. The operation has been termed “Operation Numkhor” (Numkhor means “vehicle” in Bhutanese).
