Guwahati:
Assam police along with the state GST Department has unearthed a fake Goods and Services Tax (GST) racket committing fraud worth over Rs 47 crore, arresting eight persons involved in the crime.
In a joint operation that included raids across Assam, Bihar and West Bengal, a Special Task Force (STF) and GST officials busted the network accused of committing fake Input Tax Credit (ITC) fraud.
The accused persons were allegedly using fake invoices for bitumen trade to claim tax credits, STF Superintendent of Police (SSP) Pranab Kumar Pegu told reporters. They used forged invoices and shell transactions to evade taxes and illegally claim GST benefits.
“The STF and the State GST Department carried out simultaneous operations in Guwahati, Bihar and West Bengal. During the investigation, a fake ITC scam involving more than Rs 47 crore was detected, and eight accused have been arrested,” Pegu said, addressing a press conference.
Officials said the raids were conducted overnight based on intelligence inputs and financial investigations, resulting in the dismantling of what investigators believe was a well-organised GST fraud syndicate operating across multiple states.
Three individuals from Patna in Bihar, two from West Bengal and three from Guwahati have been arrested. The accused have been identified as Sahina Sultana, Shahbaz Haider and Md. Naushad from Bihar, Deepak Shaw and Rajendra Shaw from West Bengal, and Amit Jha Ajay Kumar Yadav and Chandan Kumar from Assam.
This was the first time the Assam GST Department conducted such an extensive enforcement action outside the state, as per officials.
“The investigation has revealed a large-scale tax evasion network linked to the bitumen business. Many more persons involved in the bitumen business are under the GST department’s radar. Action will continue against anyone found involved in tax evasion,” Pegu said.
The arrests and seizure of evidence are expected to provide crucial leads into the wider network behind the alleged fake invoice and ITC fraud. Authorities indicated that more arrests and financial scrutiny could follow in the coming days.
