Scheme Uncovered:
The State Goods and Services Tax (SGST) Department, in collaboration with Bhavnagar police, uncovers a sophisticated scheme involving the creation of fake GST registrations and issuance of counterfeit invoices for non-existent metal scrap businesses.
Targeting Financially Vulnerable Individuals:
Scammers entice victims with promises of facilitating loans through government schemes, manipulating Aadhaar card details to acquire new PAN cards and GST registrations for their tax evasion scheme.
Extent of Fraud:
Counterfeit GSTINs identified not only in Gujarat but also in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi, totaling hundreds of crores in financial wrongdoing.
Previous Investigations:
During Aadhaar 1.0, Gujarat Police filed five FIRs, resulting in 141 arrests and uncovering around 6,000 fraudulent GSTINs. In Aadhaar 2.0 in Ahmedabad, 7,345 fake GSTINs were identified, targeting residents in specific areas.
Legal Action Taken:
Twenty main conspirators with a history of involvement in other criminal activities face charges under various sections of the GUJCTOC Act, 2015. The court approves legal proceedings against them.
