NEW DELHI: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has made a startling discovery that many top-of-the-line cars like Aston Martins, Bentleys, Rolls-Royce, Ferraris, Hummers and Lamborghinis bought here by high networth individuals, including top politicians, businessmen and Bollywood stars, are actually cars pilfered from European countries and South Africa.
The DRI has seized at least 40 such vehicles. The kingpin of the well-oiled syndicate is allegedly Sumit Walia, a resident of upscale south Delhi colony Vasant Vihar, who, investigators say, is absconding. His father, who is not being linked to Walia's syndicate, owns an auto workshop in the capital. Walia himself is a man of expensive tastes—a locker in his house had watches and mobiles worth Rs 3 crore.
According to the investigators, these cars were imported on the basis of fake invoices. The buyers were possibly in the dark as all these cars have been duly registered by the owners. But as they are dodgy purchases, they run the risk of the luxury vehicles, which cost over Rs 1.5 crore, being impounded.
"The cars detected by us could be just the tip of the iceberg," a DRI officer said, adding, "The actual figure could be as high as 300-400. The full scale of the operation and the width of the criminal network will only be apparent after we are able to lay our hands on Sumit Walia."
Earlier this year, Scotland Yard had busted a similar gang of car thieves which used to drive out cars stolen from England to Cyprus and sell them there.
The modus operandi, the sleuths said, could be on these lines. Walia would identify potential buyers through a network of agents. On the basis of demand, he would procure vehicles from stolen car networks in Europe and Dubai. Fake invoices and import papers would then be prepared. While cars from the UK and Ireland are right-hand drive vehicles, which are suited for India, left-hand drive vehicles would be changed to right-hand drives at workshops in Dubai.
The involvement of some embassies is not ruled. An Aston Martin worth Rs 2 crore was imported by an embassy for an Indian client. The car has been seized and both the beneficiary and the diplomat involved are being questioned.
Many of these cars were already registered in the UK and fake invoices generated while exporting them to India, a senior DRI official said. In several cases, it is suspected that the cars were shown as stolen and their insurance claimed in the host country even as they were sold in India. Many of these cars were imported straight from the UK, while some came from Dubai, a transit point for cars stolen from South Africa.
The DRI has seized fake invoices and is in touch with transport authorities of these countries. Investigations are in progress, said an officer, adding that it would take some time to match the thefts with specific cars with fake invoices. Investigators have questioned several celebrities who have bought these cars and recovered invoices from transport authorities in Delhi, Chandigarh and Gurgaon, where the vehicles were registered.
The fake invoices have also got the income tax department interested, and it has started a parallel investigation on those possessing imported cars and private jets. It is also looking into their wealth tax returns. The directorate general of I-T intelligence is sending out communications to other departments for information on the importers of super luxury vehicles and private jets.
According to the investigators, these cars were imported on the basis of fake invoices.
The DRI has seized at least 40 such vehicles. The kingpin of the well-oiled syndicate is allegedly Sumit Walia, a resident of upscale south Delhi colony Vasant Vihar, who, investigators say, is absconding. His father, who is not being linked to Walia's syndicate, owns an auto workshop in the capital. Walia himself is a man of expensive tastes—a locker in his house had watches and mobiles worth Rs 3 crore.
According to the investigators, these cars were imported on the basis of fake invoices. The buyers were possibly in the dark as all these cars have been duly registered by the owners. But as they are dodgy purchases, they run the risk of the luxury vehicles, which cost over Rs 1.5 crore, being impounded.
"The cars detected by us could be just the tip of the iceberg," a DRI officer said, adding, "The actual figure could be as high as 300-400. The full scale of the operation and the width of the criminal network will only be apparent after we are able to lay our hands on Sumit Walia."
Earlier this year, Scotland Yard had busted a similar gang of car thieves which used to drive out cars stolen from England to Cyprus and sell them there.
The modus operandi, the sleuths said, could be on these lines. Walia would identify potential buyers through a network of agents. On the basis of demand, he would procure vehicles from stolen car networks in Europe and Dubai. Fake invoices and import papers would then be prepared. While cars from the UK and Ireland are right-hand drive vehicles, which are suited for India, left-hand drive vehicles would be changed to right-hand drives at workshops in Dubai.
The involvement of some embassies is not ruled. An Aston Martin worth Rs 2 crore was imported by an embassy for an Indian client. The car has been seized and both the beneficiary and the diplomat involved are being questioned.
Many of these cars were already registered in the UK and fake invoices generated while exporting them to India, a senior DRI official said. In several cases, it is suspected that the cars were shown as stolen and their insurance claimed in the host country even as they were sold in India. Many of these cars were imported straight from the UK, while some came from Dubai, a transit point for cars stolen from South Africa.
The DRI has seized fake invoices and is in touch with transport authorities of these countries. Investigations are in progress, said an officer, adding that it would take some time to match the thefts with specific cars with fake invoices. Investigators have questioned several celebrities who have bought these cars and recovered invoices from transport authorities in Delhi, Chandigarh and Gurgaon, where the vehicles were registered.
The fake invoices have also got the income tax department interested, and it has started a parallel investigation on those possessing imported cars and private jets. It is also looking into their wealth tax returns. The directorate general of I-T intelligence is sending out communications to other departments for information on the importers of super luxury vehicles and private jets.
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