Kerala High Court grants bail to accused in Bhutan-vehicle smuggling case
The Customs Preventive Commissionerate arrested the applicant, accused No. 7 in O.R. No. 1/2026, on allegations that he facilitated the smuggling and registration of Bhutan-origin vehicles without payment of customs duty. The Kerala High Court recorded that Operation Numkhor in Kerala resulted in the seizure of 36 foreign vehicles. It granted bail on a Rs 1 lakh bond with two solvent sureties, subject to conditions.
This page records what the cited court, tribunal and government records say happened. Findings belong to the court or authority that made them; this register adds none of its own. Names of private individuals are withheld unless a naming gate clears them.
How we verify →The applicant was granted bail subject to conditions, including cooperation with the investigation.
What happened
The High Court recorded that Operation Numkhor was conducted in Kerala and resulted in the seizure of 36 foreign vehicles valued at more than one crore rupees in the domestic market.
The prosecution alleged that SUVs and MUVs had been smuggled from Bhutan across the Indo-Bhutan border without payment of customs duty. It said scrutiny showed most vehicles had been registered using forged documents and their owners could not produce import documents.
The prosecution alleged that the applicant facilitated the smuggled vehicles and colluded in their smuggling and registration using forged documents. He was remanded to judicial custody on 27.05.2026; the bail application challenged the lower court order dated 03.06.2026.
The Court noted that the vehicles had been recovered, the applicant's statement under Section 108 of the Customs Act had been recorded, and he had no criminal antecedents. It found no reason to continue his detention.
The Court ordered release on a Rs 1 lakh bond with two solvent sureties for the same amount each, one from Kerala. Conditions included cooperating with the investigation, reporting every Saturday, not contacting witnesses or tampering with evidence, and not leaving Kerala without the trial court's permission.
What the record says
“was conducted in the State of Kerala, which resulted in the seizure of 36 foreign vehicles”
Bail Appl. No. 3090 of 2026, para 3 (2026:KER:42788) — read the full text
A peaceful economic act
The order concerns alleged customs-duty evasion involving vehicles smuggled across the Indo-Bhutan border.
What we could not confirm
The order does not state the exact seizure date or seizure location. It records allegations that most vehicle registrations used forged documents.