The Sitapur Police cracked an inter-state GST fraud syndicate, arresting four individuals allegedly involved in large-scale tax evasion spanning multiple states. The arrests were made by the Kotwali Nagar Police in a joint operation with the Surveillance Cell and SWAT team following sustained intelligence gathering.
The accused have been identified as:
Sona alias Ashish (23) – mastermind, resident of Agra
Kuldeep Singh (22), Agra
Vivek Kumar (20), Agra
Suraj Rawat (22), Almora, Uttarakhand
Police apprehended the gang near RMP School in Sitapur on Saturday night. During the operation, investigators seized Rs2.3 lakh cash, eight mobile phones, three laptops, 23 SIM cards, six ATM cards, a PAN card, cheque book, three bank passbooks, and various documents including Aadhaar cards, electricity bills, property papers, and handwritten diaries linked to the fake firms.
Other recoveries included two gold rings, a yellow metal chain, and an SUV without a number plate.
According to Vinayak Gopal Bhosale, the accused ran a well-organized inter-state syndicate creating fake GST firms across states including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh. Using forged identity documents, the gang registered bogus firms and conducted fake sale and purchase transactions to claim fraudulent input tax credit (ITC), causing losses worth crores to the government exchequer.
Investigations revealed that the syndicate lured unsuspecting individuals with promises of employment, collecting their identity documents to set up shell companies. During interrogation, the accused admitted to creating more than 1,200 fake firms and operating the racket in a coordinated manner.
Laptops, mobile phones, and multiple SIM cards were reportedly used to manage registrations, generate fake invoices, and conduct financial transactions. Cash, jewellery, vehicles, and electronic items recovered were allegedly purchased using proceeds from the fraud.
The gang also admitted to establishing a fake firm named ‘PS Traders’ in Sitapur using a woman’s details, through which large-scale fraudulent billing was conducted. Authorities believe the accused are habitual offenders with links to similar GST fraud cases across multiple districts. Further investigation is ongoing to trace the full network and identify other accomplices.
