• Notification Date: 10-06-2023
• Notification No: N/A

ED Conducts Raids in Multiple Cities in Rs 122 crore regarding GST Fraud Case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has carried out a string of search operations at 25 different locations across Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka in an alleged GST (Goods and Service Tax) fraud case. 

In the operation, the central agency has charged Mohammad Ejaj Bomar with money laundering based on a chargesheet filed by Bhavnagar Police in Gujarat. 

Ejaj allegedly used fake invoices of more than Rs 1102 crore to evade the GST amount of Rs 122 crore. For this purpose, the accused used 461 bogus companies, claimed chargesheet filed by Bavnagar Police. The ED has initiated a money laundering investigation based on FIRs registered by Bhavnagar Police under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Mohammad Ejaj Bomar and others. 

The central agencies also searched the premises of the persons involved in preparing bogus documents based on which fake firms were constituted to wrongly claim the Input Tax Credit (ITC). 

The police chargesheet states that the accused used the Aadhar Card of several persons to constitute the shell companies. 

The police claimed to have found documents suggesting that the accused used forms, which were utilised by them to trick people who wanted to change their phone numbers linked to their Aadhar Cards. 

Later, the accused used those Aadhar cards to obtain PAN Cards and GST registrations. 

The official said the accused created fake entities through forged documents to obtain GST registration. Later these fake entities passed on the claimed Input Tax Credits to beneficiaries by generating fake invoices on a commission basis. 

Payment for these fake invoices was made through banking channels before the amount was settled in cash between an operator of a fake entity and a beneficiary. 

During the probe, documents such as the form for changing mobile numbers linked to Aadhar cards, fake bills issued from these bogus entities and digital evidence were seized under the provisions of PMLA. The agency also seized Rs 29 lakh during the investigation. Further probe into the matter is underway.