Vadodara, Gujarat (The Hawk): The Special Operation Group (SOG) is looking for those responsible for fabricating businesses, creating trading documents, and filing massive Goods and Service Tax input credit claims totaling millions of rupees in order to fraud the country.
A Goods and Service Tax officer discovered seven companies—Rafai promoted by Mohammad Rafai, Alfa enterprises owner Indrish Makwana, A.S. trade owner Akram Salim, Chauhan Enterprises of Dhaval Chauhan, Reedon Enterprises of Nitin Makwana, Alfa enterprise of Asif Yusufbhai, and Alfa enterprise of Nikhil Mistry—were claiming significant input credits during technical surveillance, according to SOG Police Inspector C.
The official added that in November, a search operation was conducted at these businesses by the SOG and GST teams working together. The proprietors' names and photographs did not match, and it was astonishing to discover that none of the aforementioned businesses existed at the given addresses. When the police and the GST team discovered that trade transactions and dummy firms had been set up under false pretences in order to claim the tax input credit.
Officer added that even the registered firms and numbers for chartered accountants were fake. On Saturday night, a criminal complaint was made to the crime branch police.
The following statement is made in the FIR: "When the GST officers searched at Rafai Enterprise Address in the Mangal Bazaar area, firm's owner Mohammad Rafai named person was not there; instead, the said premises was owned by Mahesh Mevadi and he was operating a children's wear shop from the said premises. The same thing happened with other companies as well.
According to sources, the GST officers have not yet determined the total amount of input credit that these companies have requested.
Additionally, according to sources, police are concerned that this money might be utilised for nefarious or anti-national operations.
(Inputs from Agencies)