Author: Business So Simple

The Income Tax Department initiated search and seizure operations in two groups based in several States on 12.10.2021.

The first group is engaged in digital marketing and campaign management wherein the search operations have been carried out at 7 premises located in Bengaluru, Surat, Chandigarh, and Mohali.

Incriminating evidence found reveals that the group has been engaged in obtaining accommodation entries using an entry operator. The entry operator has admitted to have facilitated transfer of cash and unaccounted income of the group through Hawala operators.

Inflation of expenditure and under-reporting of revenue has also been detected. The group has also been found to be indulging in unaccounted cash payments.  It is also found that personal expenses of the directors have been booked as business expenses in the books of accounts. Luxurious vehicles used by the directors and their family members are found to have been purchased in the names of employees and entry provider.

The second group searched is engaged in Solid Waste Management comprising solid waste collection, transportation, processing and disposal services across the country, primarily catering to Indian municipalities.

During the course of the search, various incriminating documents, loose papers and digital evidences have been seized. Evidence found reveals that this group has indulged in booking of bogus bills for expenses and sub-contracts. A preliminary estimate of such bogus expenses booked is to the tune of Rs.70 crore.

The search action has led to the detection of unaccounted investment in property of about Rs. 7 crore. Apart from this, the search action has resulted in seizure of unaccounted cash of Rs. 1.95 crore and jewellery of Rs. 65 lakh.

Further investigations are in progress in both the groups.

The Income Tax Department carried out search and seizure operations on an importer and trader of laptops, mobile phones and peripheral parts. The search operations commenced on 10.10.2021 and were spread across the National Capital Region, Haryana and West Bengal.

During the course of the search, several incriminating documents, diaries and digital evidences have been found which reveal that the group is entrenched into large scale under-invoicing and wrongful declaration of goods imported by it. Large number of evidences indicating unrecorded transactions, unaccounted investment in properties, bogus loans taken, etc. have also been gathered.

The modus operandi involves import of goods in the name of shell entities at under-valued and/or wrongful declaration of description of goods imported, with an intent to evade customs duty. Upon clearance at port(s), such goods have been found to be distributed throughout India by way of out-of-books cash transactions. This aspect has been fortified while searching one of the containers at Kolkata Port, where the bill of lading declared the goods as ‘HDMI cables’ valued at Rs 3.8 lakh. However, on de-sealing and searching the same, it has been revealed that the actual goods imported are high value items like laptops, mobile phones etc which are valued at Rs. 64 crore.

The evidences found and seized during the course of the search reveal that the payments for such under-invoiced goods to the foreign consigners have been made through hawala channels. Almost the entire business has been found to be run through such modus-operandi.

Though the value of imports declared at the port of entry by the use of such shell entities in the past 3 years is about Rs. 20 crore, it is estimated that the actual value during this period could be more than Rs. 2000 crore, given the scale of massive under-valuation detected.

The wealth, so generated, has been used for acquisition of high value immovable properties; disguising of cash introduced in the form of bogus rental income and bogus unsecured loans; and deposits in foreign bank accounts.

During the course of the search, unaccounted cash of Rs. 2.75 crore has been seized.

Further investigations are in progress.