I-T dept busts ₹500-cr racket of fake bills operating from several states

According to a press release issued by the department on Tuesday, documents showing accommodation entries of more than ₹500 crore were found and seized.

The Income Tax Department on Monday carried out raids on a large network of entry operation racketeers who generated cash through fake billing. The search operations were conducted on 42 premises across Delhi- NCR, Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Goa.

₹2.37 crore and jewellery worth ₹2.89 crore was seized and 17 bank lockers, which are yet to be operated, were found. (PTI photo (Representational image))

According to a press release issued by the department on Tuesday, documents showing accommodation entries of more than ₹500 crore were found and seized.

“Several shell firms were used by the searched entry operators for layering of unaccounted money and cash withdrawals against fake bills issued and unsecured loans given. The personal staff members were made dummy directors/partners of these shell entities and all bank accounts were managed and controlled by these entry operators. Statements of such entry operators, their dummy partners/employees, the cash handlers as well as the covered beneficiaries have also been recorded clearly validating the entire money trail,” the statement said.

The individuals raided by the department were also found to be beneficial owners of several bank accounts and lockers, functional under the names of their family members, employees or shell entities. How these individuals were managing these accounts online in collusion with bank officials is being further investigated, the statement added.

₹2.37 crore and jewellery worth ₹2.89 crore was seized and 17 bank lockers, which are yet to be operated, were found.