Why Did ED Raid Mammootty’s Production House in Chennai?

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out a raid at the Chennai-based film production company owned by Malayalam superstar Mammootty.

Today, ED officials, accompanied by CRPF personnel, conducted the operation at the premises of Wayfare Films, the production house linked to Mammootty, situated on Greenways Road, Chennai.

The raid comes amid a broader crackdown by the ED’s Kochi Zonal Office, which simultaneously executed searches at 17 locations across Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The investigation focuses on alleged luxury car smuggling and unauthorised foreign exchange transactions.

The inspections covered the homes and offices of several well-known film industry figures, including actors Prithviraj Sukumaran, Dulquer Salmaan, and Amith Chakalakkal. The searches also extended to vehicle owners, car workshops, and traders operating in cities like Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Kottayam, and Coimbatore.

Initial findings suggest the involvement of a Coimbatore-based network that allegedly used counterfeit documents, claiming connections with the Indian Army, the US Embassy, and the Ministry of External Affairs. This network reportedly secured fraudulent vehicle registrations in states such as Arunachal Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. These high-end cars were then sold at heavily discounted rates to affluent individuals, including celebrities from the film industry.