The Noida Police have made a significant breakthrough in the ongoing probe into the multi-crore GST scam by arresting a 45-year-old man from Haryana. This arrest brings the total number of individuals apprehended in connection with the scam to 45, officials confirmed.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), Shakti Mohan Avasthy, stated that the police had been on the lookout for Anshul Goyal, a resident of Sirsa in Haryana, for the past eight to nine months.
"The accused, who was absconding in connection with the GST scam probe, has been arrested after a joint action by the Crime Response Team and officials of the Sector 20 police station," DCP Avasthy said.
Goyal's primary modus operandi involved establishing bogus companies and generating fake invoices under their names. A local court had recently issued an order for action under CrPC Section 82 against Goyal, which facilitated his capture.
The Noida Police had announced a reward of Rs 25,000 for information leading to Goyal’s arrest. The alleged multi-crore fraud, now known as the ‘GST Scam’, came to light in June 2023. It involves significant revenue losses to the exchequer through fraudulent claims of input tax credits by thousands of fictitious companies established using forged documents.
Investigations have revealed the involvement of hundreds of bogus firms and transactions amounting to approximately Rs 10,000 crore. Over two dozen people have already been arrested in connection with the scam, highlighting the extensive network of fraudulent activities.
An FIR was lodged at the Sector 20 police station of Noida under IPC Sections 420 (cheating), 467, 468, 471 (all related to forgery), and 120B (criminal conspiracy). The scam was initially uncovered when perpetrators fraudulently used the PAN details of a journalist to register bogus companies in Punjab and Maharashtra, with a third attempt in Delhi being thwarted by GST authorities.
The Noida Police continue their efforts to dismantle the network of fraudsters involved in this elaborate scam and recover the defrauded revenue.
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