The Goods and Services Tax (GST) team in Uttar Pradesh recently seized 28 vehicles from Munna Pandey, a notorious tax evader mafia in Purvanchal. The cars carried iron scrap worth approximately INR 125 crore without proper e-way bills or fake e-way bills. The GST officials had received information about the illegal transportation of iron scrap from Bihar to various districts in Uttar Pradesh, such as Gorakhpur, Ayodhya, Lucknow, Ghaziabad, and Kanpur, as well as Mandi Govindgarh in Punjab and Kotdwar in Uttarakhand.An investigation by the GST TeamThe GST officials had been working on this information for the past 15 days, and they had even sent a team to meet a tax evader named Pradhan in Bihar. After introducing Pradhan, the team posed as a prominent iron bar trader and met Munna Pandey. The group agreed to Munna Pandeys demand and arranged for a delivery of the goods. On February 24, the GST team received information about the arrival of trains from Bihar. After working for 24 hours, the team seized and sealed 28 vehicles from Basti, Deoria, and Kushinagar.Investigation revealed that some vehicles had no e-way bills for their goods, while e-way bills from Rajasthan and Haryana addresses were found in other vehicles. The investigation further revealed no records of the iron scrap worth INR 125 crore and to whom it was supposed to be delivered.Action Taken by the GST TeamThe GST team took immediate action by seizing and sealing all the vehicles. Eight vehicles were caught at the Basti-Ayodhya toll, while the other 20 were seized on the toll road from Kushinagar to Gorakhpur. The investigation is ongoing, and the team is scrutinising iron scrap coming to registered traders in the circle. The team has also completed investigations in two big firms, and the matching of scrap to iron traders will begin soon.The GST teams action against Munna Pandey and his tax evasion mafia is a significant step towards curbing illegal transportation and trade of iron scrap. Investigating and punishing such tax evaders is essential to ensure a fair and just taxation system in the country. The GST officials have set an example for others by working tirelessly to crack down on illegal activities and tax evasion.
