The Customs Department told the Kerala High Court on Tuesday that actor-producer Dulquer Salmaan’s petition seeking the release of his seized Land Rover Defender is not maintainable. The department argued that the actor should have first approached the Appellate Tribunal instead of moving to the High Court.

In its submission, Customs stated that the vehicle in question had been smuggled into India from Bhutan and was seized based on an intelligence report. The department maintained that it has the legal authority to confiscate any vehicle found to be imported in violation of customs regulations. The investigation, officials said, remains at a preliminary stage, and a notice has already been issued to Dulquer seeking an explanation.

Customs also informed the court that two other vehicles owned by the actor, a Toyota Land Cruiser and a Nissan Patrol, had been seized earlier, but Dulquer had not contested those actions.

Meanwhile, the wider investigation into the Bhutan vehicle smuggling network has extended beyond Kerala, with indications that several vehicles were moved to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The inquiry is now being conducted with the assistance of Customs units in Chennai and Bengaluru. Officials are also verifying whether Dulquer owns additional vehicles under scrutiny.

According to Customs findings, nearly 200 vehicles were brought into Kerala from Bhutan without paying import duties. Of these, 39 have been seized so far. The department recently sought help from the Kerala Police to trace vehicles concealed by their owners and has since shared vehicle details with police in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to aid the ongoing investigation.