The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Cyberabad police has arrested two individuals in connection with a massive Rs11.79 crore fraudulent input tax credit (ITC) scam involving shell companies across eight states.
Acting on a complaint from the commercial tax department, the EOW had registered a case on September 3 against two private companies, a truck owner, and others for alleged ITC fraud. Following the investigation, authorities arrested Sohil Muradali Lakhani alias Sonu (34) from Abids, Gujarat, the organiser and financial handler, and Mohammed Akram Hasnuddin (43) of Adikmet, who collected and delivered forged documents.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (EOW) A. Muthyam Reddy said the syndicate created 10 fictitious GST-registered firms using doctored Aadhaar and PAN cards, fake electricity bills, and forged rental agreements. SIM cards were obtained under fake identities to complete OTP verification on the GST portal, and purchase and sales invoices were fabricated without moving a single consignment.
Investigators have identified 52 shell entities, 405 fake e-way bills, and a counterfeit turnover of Rs53.73 crore across Telangana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, and Gujarat. Illicit credit was routed through multiple bank accounts before being withdrawn in cash.
Searches are ongoing for the suspected kingpin Abdullah of Delhi, technical expert Syed Mujtaba Hussaini alias Azam, and operator Ayiti Raja Shekar.
