Luxury Car Smuggling Goes Into Overdrive

Gold is no longer all that glitters as far as smugglers are concerned. In fact, the easing of gold imports has prompted criminals to change track to smuggling luxury cars, which still offers both substantial and assured returns.

The biggest demand is for four-wheel drive models from Mitsubishi and Toyota. The Mitsubishi Pajero is already a cult car for the status-conscious, while the Toyota Land Cruiser too is gaining popularity.

The demand for luxury cars has shot up in the last few months, with about 200 cars imported in September and October alone. Of these, 40 cars were imported through Mumbai port up to mid-November, reveal estimates of the directorate of revenue intelligence (DRI). Nearly 40 per cent of these cars have been imported using fictitious papers.

 

According to authorities, the normal count of smuggled luxury cars is 80 cars a year, valued at approximately Rs 32 crore.

The cars are imported mainly from the Gulf countries, specially Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Dubai, and later sold in the open market at a premium of up to Rs 5 lakh for a car.

Catching on to the trend, the DRI has started cracking down on suspected car smugglers. It recently confiscated three cars, valued cumulatively at Rs 90 lakh.

Department authorities added that they have sought help from companies like Toyota to smash the elaborate smuggling network. The authorities explained that smugglers use travellers returning to India as a conduit.

Home-bound travellers, primarily workers returning to Kerala after a stint in the Gulf, are lured by offers of up to Rs 20,000 for some quick, harmless work.

The bulk of car imports take place in August-September, since Keralites are on their way home to celebrate Onam. It is difficult to zero in on culprits as the official car import papers mention remote hamlets in Kerala as addresses. The trail ends there, as the importers have no clue about the details of the cars.