Rs 33 Crore Multi-State GST Fraud Network Busted In Assam, 12 Arrested

The Assam Special Task Force (STF) has arrested three more people, including the alleged mastermind of a multi-state Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Input Tax Credit (ITC) fraud, taking the total number of arrests in the case to 12, officials said.The alleged kingpin, Vinit Kumar Poddar, was picked up from Kolkata on Wednesday night following an operation by the STF. Two others, Surajit Barman and Vivek Kumar Gupta, were also arrested from Kolkata's Tiljala area based on fresh leads developed during the probe.A GST fraud of Rs 33.73 crore has been mapped till now, Assam STF sources said.Speaking to reporters in Guwahati on Thursday, STF Senior Superintendent of Police Pranab Kumar Pegu said the case has so far led to the arrest of 12 accused in two cases registered in June and July this year."The investigation is moving ahead. We are following the money trail and identifying others who may have played a role in the fraud," Pegu said.According to the STF, the first case, registered in June, had already resulted in the arrest of eight accused. Investigators later traced Poddar, who is suspected to have orchestrated the alleged GST ITC fraud network.The second case initially led to the arrest of Rishikesh Kalita. Information obtained during his interrogation helped investigators identify Barman and Gupta, who were subsequently apprehended in Kolkata.Pegu said all three arrested accused have been booked under non-bailable sections related to cheating, forgery and the use of forged documents. They will be produced before the competent court as further legal proceedings continue.The STF suspects the alleged GST ITC fraud was operated through a network spread across several states. Investigators are now scrutinising financial transactions and working to identify other individuals who may have been involved.