New Delhi, Feb 3 (PTI) GST intelligence officers have detected fake Input Tax Credit (ITC) cases worth Rs 18,000 crore from April to December in the current fiscal and arrested 98 people, the finance ministry said on Saturday.

In the current financial year, the Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) has laid special emphasis to identify and apprehend the masterminds of fake Input Tax Credit (ITC) and disrupting syndicates, operating across the country.

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"In the current financial year (up to December 2023), 1,700 fake ITC cases involving Rs 18,000 crore have been detected and 98 fraudsters/masterminds have been apprehended," a statement said.

DGGI has unravelled cases using data analysis aided by advanced technical tools, leading to the arrest of tax evaders.

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These tax syndicates often use gullible persons and enticed them with jobs/commission/bank loan, etc, to extract their Know Your Customers (KYC) documents, which were then used to create fake/shell firms/companies without their knowledge and consent.

In some cases, KYC method was used with the knowledge of the person concerned by paying them small pecuniary benefits, the ministry added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)