Lucknow
The Uttar Pradesh STF has busted an interstate gang involved in evading GST worth approximately ₹200 crore through the use of bogus firms. In connection with this case, the STF has apprehended a key member of the gang, Mohammad Altaf Sojatwala, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. This criminal network spanned across several states of the country and had been systematically causing massive revenue losses to the government for a considerable period.
According to the STF, a laptop, two mobile phones, a pen drive, and cash were recovered from the arrested accused. The investigation revealed that the accused, in collusion with his associates—including Chartered Accountant Akash Piyush Soni and others—registered bogus firms using forged documents.
Through these fraudulent companies, fake invoices and e-way bills were generated to facilitate Input Tax Credit (ITC) for genuine business owners, thereby enabling tax evasion on a massive scale.
Interrogation further revealed that the gang obtained the identity cards and other documents of individuals by luring them with commissions and other incentives. Using these very documents as a basis, they established fraudulent companies and routed transactions through associated bank accounts. Subsequently, the funds were returned to the individuals, either in cash or through other financial channels.
STF officials stated that this gang was active across numerous cities in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh. The entire network was exposed during the course of an investigation into a case registered in Aligarh.
Currently, the STF is in the process of obtaining a transit remand for the accused to produce him before a court. Simultaneously, the manhunt for the remaining members of the gang has been intensified. Officials have affirmed that this marks merely the beginning of the operation, and action will continue until the entire criminal network is completely dismantled.
