Evaders beware! Taxman's watching every move

 NEW DELHI: Officials of the air intelligence unit at Delhi’s IGI Airport recently identified a traveller suspected to be carrying huge cash in
his baggage. But before the suspect could be detained, he had boarded the aircraft for Hyderabad. All that the airline staff could divulge about the traveller were his initials and mobile number.

The number was soon flashed to the headquarters of the Central Information Bureau (CIB) of the I-T department in Delhi. What happened thereafter is a startling example of how 360-degree profiling, a new cutting-edge database that synergizes with various agencies and service providers, is being used to nab income tax evaders.

Within seconds of receiving the suspect’s number, officials put it into their 360-degree data bank. It turned out to be that of a leading Delhi-based industrialist. In the next few minutes, sleuths had been dispatched to all business and residential premises of the accused. By the time the suspect landed at Hyderabad in a few hours’ time, he was detained with the cash and confronted with all transactions made by him, his staff and family members in the past year.

Stunned by the extent of information officials had about his itinerary, contacts and transactions, the industrialist broke down and disclosed the source of the black money. He said it was meant to buy a property in Hyderabad.

Now increasingly being used by intelligence and enforcement agencies, 360-degree profiles have turned out to be one of the most potent tools in creating forensic evidence against an offender providing minute-to-minute details of the movements of the accused. The details include all the people the target had spoken to, met, how much he spent with credit cards, where he was at a particular time, in which hotel did he check into and had how many visitors he entertained etc.

These profiles have been constructed on thousands of individuals and companies whose meteoric rise and flambuoyance paint a suspicious picture around them. The I-T department already has financial details of these individuals and their front entities and family members. The profiles are constantly updated by sleuths based on analysis of annual information reports and other financial data received from several institutions, banks, intelligence agencies, hotels and tour and travel operators.

The CIB of the I-T department is the nodal agency for collating this information. Different investigative agencies in the country take help of CIB and its data bank on 360-degree profiles while investigating a suspect. CIB offices are spread across the country. Information related to banking, cash transactions and credit card expenses are centralized in Delhi.