Pre-owned car smuggling from Bhutan into Kerala could have been caught through VIN check, say officials

A elemental verification of conveyance recognition fig (VIN), popularly known arsenic chassis fig and regarded arsenic a vehicle’s unsocial fingerprint, by the archetypal registration authorization could person exposed the Coimbatore-based racket progressive successful smuggling high-value pre-owned cars from Bhutan astatine the outset.

The VIN, a distinctive 17-character alphanumeric code, serves arsenic a cardinal indicator of a vehicle’s history, including its manufacturing origin, ownership records, mishap history, and ineligible status. In summation to being stamped onto the chassis, it is besides displayed connected the registration certificate, dashboard, doorway frame, hood, trunk, rear instrumentality arch, and security documents.

“Had the archetypal registration authorization successful India verified the chassis number, it would person revealed astatine erstwhile that the conveyance originated successful Bhutan and was unlawfully imported oregon smuggled,” said a elder Kerala Motor Vehicles section (MVD) official, speaking connected information of anonymity.

Customs officials person confirmed that the bulk of the smuggled vehicles were registered astatine Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) successful different States, and that imaginable complicity cannot beryllium ruled out. Under Indian law, the import of pre-owned vehicles is prohibited but by mode of the Transfer of Residence provision, successful which lawsuit a conveyance utilized for not little than 3 years successful the state of root volition beryllium registered here, entailing a 160% duty.

The MVD authoritative explained that a conveyance already registered elsewhere successful India, with its details disposable connected the Parivahan portal, whitethorn not needfully rise a reddish emblem erstwhile presented astatine an RTO successful Kerala for taxation outgo oregon re-registration, which is mandatory if the conveyance is utilized successful Kerala for implicit a year.

“Re-registration requires lone a no-objection certificate from the archetypal registration authority, portion the remaining details are readily accessible connected Parivahan. Hence, the re-registering authorization is not obligated to behaviour further verification different than successful exceptional circumstances. Rare oregon antithetic vehicles whitethorn warrant further scrutiny, but not commonly utilized premium vehicles. If a usurpation is detected, the re-registering authorization can, astatine best, contented a study to the archetypal registration authorization recommending revocation of the registration certificate,” the authoritative added.