Ferrari, Porsche and BMW among 30 high-end luxury cars seized in Bengaluru for alleged tax evasion

In Bengaluru, 30 luxury cars were seized for not paying road tax, as officials conducted a major operation targeting high-end vehicles.

Updated on: Feb 4, 2025, 13:56:35 IST

By HT News Desk | Written by Pathi Venkata Thadhagath

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Bengaluru transport authorities have seized 30 luxury cars for operating in Karnataka without paying the mandatory road tax, officials confirmed on Monday.

Ferrari car among the high-end vehicles that were seized in Bengaluru recently.

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The crackdown took place on Sunday when officials from the Bengaluru Transport Department conducted a large-scale operation, targeting high-end vehicles such as Ferrari, Porsche, BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Aston Martin, and Range Rover.

Crackdown led by transport officials

The operation was spearheaded by Transport Deputy Commissioner C Mallikarjun, assisted by a team of 41 officials, including Regional Transport Officers B Srinivas Prasad, Deepak, Srinivasappa, and Ranjit.

“These vehicles were being driven without paying the required state taxes. A notice has been issued to recover approximately ₹3 crore in pending taxes from the owners of the seized cars,” a senior department official stated.

Authorities have been closely monitoring Bengaluru’s elite car owners, who frequently embark on long weekend drives in their luxury vehicles. Transport officials had been keeping an eye on these gatherings, which ultimately led to the enforcement action.

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A few years ago, a similar operation was conducted in Hyderabad, where the Road Transport Authority (RTA) seized 11 high-end vehicles for tax evasion. The crackdown was executed by Deputy Transport Commissioner K Papa Rao, along with a team of 40 RTA officials.

The Hyderabad authorities had been tracking the movement of luxury vehicles for nearly six months before taking action. On Independence Day, officials intercepted a group of luxury car owners on their way to the Hyderabad airport, leading to the seizure of Rolls Royce, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lamborghini, Ferrari, and Maserati vehicles. These cars were purchased and registered in other states but were being used in Telangana without paying local road taxes.

The seizure in Hyderabad was expected to bring in revenue ranging between ₹3 crore and ₹8 crore for the RTA. Similarly, Bengaluru’s transport department is now set to recover pending taxes from the latest crackdown.

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