Mumbai: A team of officers of Anti-Evasion, CGST & Central Excise Raigad Commissionerate, Mumbai Zone have arrested two persons involved in generating and passing on fake input tax credit (ITC) of more than Rs 9 crore by creating fictitious firms and issuing invoices without actual supply of goods/services.

Fake ITC Passed Using Fictitious Firms, Say Raigad CGST Officials

Acting upon intelligence, the team identified the fake firms being operated by the accused to avail and pass on fake ITC. The accused firm availed ineligible credit passed on by non-existent firms registered based on forged documents.

No Actual Goods Supplied, Yet Invoices Issued

The accused firm was found non-operational at the registered principal place of business evidencing no goods received or supplied. Thus, the firm had fraudulently availed/ passed on ITC in violation of CGST Act, 2017.

Panvel and Dombivli Residents Nabbed for Tax Evasion

The investigation revealed that the Directors of the firm, a resident of New Panvel and a resident of Dombivli (W) were actively involved in the fraud of government revenue.

Two Arrested for ₹9 Crore GST Fraud in Maharashtra

Both were arrested under section 69(1) of CGST Act, 2017 for offences punishable under Section 132(1)(b)/132(1)(c) of CGST Act, 2017 and produced before the Judicial Magistrate First Class, Panvel. The Court has sent them to judicial custody.

Further investigation is in progress to identify other beneficiaries and operators of this fake invoice racket.

Mumbai: In a major anti-drug operation, the Mumbai Police arrested a 24-year-old man in the early hours of Wednesday and recovered a large quantity of narcotics valued at over Rs 3.46 crore. The accused, identified as Sahil Junaid Ansari, a resident of Bhiwandi in Thane district, was intercepted while driving through the Byculla area of South Mumbai.

Accused Found Driving Suspiciously In Byculla Area

The incident occurred around 4 am when a team of patrolling constables, Bhabad, Bhoye and Gangurde, spotted a Maruti Ertiga car moving suspiciously near Hume Church on B.A. Road. The team flagged down the vehicle and questioned the driver about his presence at that odd hour. Ansari, however, failed to give a satisfactory response, raising the officers’ suspicions.

Alerted by constable Bhabad, night duty in-charge Police Inspector Anup Dange immediately reached the location with PSI Kolekar, PSI Asade from the Anti-Terror Cell and other detection personnel.

Details On Drugs Found In Car

A detailed search of the vehicle was conducted, during which the police found 1,710 grams of Mephedrone, commonly known as MD, concealed inside. The street value of the seized MD is estimated at Rs 3.42 crore. Additionally, 17 grams of charas worth Rs 4.5 lakh were also recovered from the car.

Police officials confirmed that Ansari has been taken into custody and booked under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The contraband was seized and sent for forensic examination.

Recently, there has been a rise in housebreaking cases in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, and Thane, which has resulted in a coordinated police initiative that led to the capture of the infamous Chaddi-Baniya gang. Significantly, law enforcement captured two siblings by employing an ingenious strategy that involved a water truck to ensnare them.

This group had created anxiety in the neighborhood, as their actions were frequently hard to track. Investigations showed that the gang leased a house and utilised a path through a different city during their heists, making detection more difficult.

A significant development occurred when authorities discovered that the gang leader’s brother was imprisoned at Yerwada jail, leading to additional investigations into the gang’s familial ties. This directed them to a chawl in Sabe village, where the gang was believed to live.

Law enforcement formulated a strategy to collect additional information by delivering water from a tanker, earning the confidence of the community. Ultimately, a group of 25-30 officers encircled the chawl and apprehended the suspects, recognized as Shahaji Pawar and Ankush Pawar, hailing from Kalamb in the Dharashiv district.

In the meantime, the Pimpri Chinchwad Police Crime Branch celebrated another major success by capturing members of a gang that had robbed an industrialist in the Nigdi Authority region, recovering valuables valued at Rs 6.15 lakh following a 11,200-kilometre pursuit in Rajasthan.

Similar Incident

A 37-year-old history-sheeter, Mohammad, was arrested for a shooting incident in Dharavi, Mumbai, where Sarvar Begum Shaikh, 32, was injured while shopping. The incident occurred on July 27 at 90 Feet Road. Sarvar was shot in the hand, and after surgery at Sion Hospital, her condition is stable.

Initially unaware of the injury, she realised something was wrong when blood started to flow. Police are investigating whether she was a random victim or caught in crossfire, reviewing CCTV footage, and examining Mohammad’s potential link to other crimes. A case was registered under relevant laws.