Surat GST fraud accused nabbed at Mumbai airport after 3 years on run

Surat: The Surat Crime Branch’s Economic Offences Cell (Eco Cell) has arrested a 42-year-old man who had been wanted for nearly three years in a GST fraud case after he was detained at Mumbai airport upon his arrival from Dubai.

The accused, identified as Imtiaz Kader Majroon, was allegedly acting as an agent in the scam, in which fraudsters created fake Aadhaar cards and rental agreements, set up 21 bogus firms and obtained GST registrations to carry out transactions worth crores of rupees and evade taxes.

Majroon had allegedly fled to Dubai and was declared wanted in the case. A Lookout Circular (LOC) had been issued against him and other accused who had left the country. Following his detention at Mumbai airport, the Surat Eco Cell brought him to Surat, formally arrested him and began questioning him.

According to the investigation, the accused allegedly collected the original Aadhaar and PAN cards of 21 people on the pretext of helping them obtain personal loans or sending them abroad for jobs. The documents were subsequently allegedly misused to create bogus identities and firms.

Investigators found that a fake Aadhaar card was prepared using the photograph of 75-year-old Babubhai Patel of Dabholi. Bogus rental agreements were also allegedly prepared for properties linked to Sumeru City Mall and Shantiniketan Building in Mota Varachha. Documents related to Babubhai Patel’s shops at Mangalam Complex in Nanpura were allegedly used to support the fake agreements.

Using these documents, the accused allegedly created 21 different business firms and uploaded the fabricated documents as genuine on the GST portal to obtain GST numbers. Financial transactions worth crores of rupees were then shown through these firms, allegedly resulting in tax evasion.

GST officials detected the alleged irregularities, following which a case was registered with the Surat Crime Branch in April 2023 and the investigation was handed over to the Eco Cell.

Police have so far arrested six accused in the case. With Majroon’s arrest, investigators are expected to question him about his alleged role as an agent and the involvement of other accused who may have fled abroad. DeshGujarat