Operation Numkhor to Dominate Indo-Bhutan Customs Talks

Operation Numkhor, a significant crackdown on vehicle smuggling and forged registration rackets involving Motor Vehicle Department officials, is set to be a primary agenda item at the upcoming Indo-Bhutan Joint Customs Group meeting in Munnar. Scheduled for April 20-21, 2026, the meeting will address the large-scale smuggling of premium second-hand vehicles through Bhutan into India. The operation, initiated by the Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate in Kochi in September 2025, involved statewide raids that seized numerous vehicles, including those linked to prominent film actors. Investigations revealed that both foreign luxury cars and Indian-made vehicles, legally exported to Bhutan for tax benefits, were smuggled back into India in knocked-down forms with mismatched chassis numbers. A Comptroller and Auditor General report highlighted the scale, noting thousands of vehicles with identical numbers registered in northeastern states. Key suspects, including a District Transport Officer from Assam, have been arrested for facilitating illegal registrations. Customs authorities have identified major smuggling networks based in Coimbatore and Assam, alleging collusion with officials to tamper with government databases. The ongoing cooperation between Indian and Bhutanese customs aims to strengthen border security and dismantle these criminal syndicates.