The state GST department has unearthed a scam with a new modus operandi where 1,500 Aadhaar cards were illegally used in the past eight months to generate bogus GST registration numbers.
On February 7, the department conducted spot verification of suspected firms, including those in Surat, Bhavnagar, Ahmedabad, Anand, and Rajkot, to combat bogus billing. During operations in Surat, it was discovered that duplicate documents such as Aadhaar and PAN cards were created using an Android mobile application.
In Surat, an Aadhaar card holder with a Palitana residential address was unaware of the GST registration and PAN number obtained in their name by changing the mobile number linked to Aadhaar.
“Many residents said that in the name of government assistance, they were taken to Aadhaar centres at Palitana and their thumb impressions were taken,” stated the GST department, which conducted search operations in Palitana and seized mobiles, laptops and other digital devices from Aadhaar centres.
“It was discovered that over the last eight months, more than 1,500 Aadhaar cards had their mobile numbers amended,” the department stated, adding that 470 GST registrations obtained through this illegal process were discovered. There were 118 registrations from Gujarat, with the rest coming from other states.
“As a result, the department has become aware of a new method of obtaining bogus GST numbers,” it added.
More than 2,700 GST registrations were obtained across India, according to further verification of 470 registrations obtained from modified mobile numbers in Aadhaar cards. “Many of these GST registrations are likely to be bogus. “In-depth verification is currently underway,” the statement added. The department has filed a FIR in this regard at Palitana, officials said.
Meanwhile, 61 Surat firms were found to be engaged in bogus billing activity after being verified. Twelve of the 24 firms verified in Ahmedabad were found to be involved in the illegal operation.