ISLAMABAD: Federal Board of Revenue Inland Revenue (IR) Intelligence and Investigation Directorate Karachi has arrested one PRAL and three other persons involved in fake/flying invoices scam worth Rs11.692 billion
According to details, I&I IR Karachi has busted an interprovincial gang of fake /flying sales tax invoice mafia and arrested four suspects involved in the scam causing revenue loss to national exchequer of Rs11.692 billion.
In a criminal case registered in the recent past in the Court of Special Judge Custom & Taxation Karachi, the IR Intelligence team arrested the first accused from Faisalabad on the basis of technical information who was filing fake sales tax returns of various dummy firms from his house.
The second accused connected with the scam has been arrested from PRAL Call Centre, Islamabad who while working as facilitation officer at PRAL was found involved in providing user ID/Password of inactive sales tax registered units to fake invoice mafia agents against financial benefit.
The day when Intelligence team of I&I-IR Karachi picked him for investigation, officers recovered Rs1,600 million fake output tax data from accused official PRAL computer which he prepared for supply to a mafia person through FBR e-filing system (IRIS) but could not be executed due to I&I raid.
Later, on his disclosure another mafia agent/broker, belongs to Karachi who was traveling in the nearby vicinity of Marree/Islamabad also arrested on a technical tip off with the active assistance of another intelligence agency.
The fourth accused of the episode was taken into custody again from industrial city Faisalabad, who was also an ex-employee of PRAL Faisalabad but dismissed from service in 2014 due to his wrong doings who later became advocate and presently member of District Bar, Faisalabad.
Interestingly, all accused were in contact through mobile/WhatsAppcommunication and used to share data of fake input/output tax on excel sheets for demand and supply of fake input in the supply chain.
All four accused after investigation and completion of physical remand in I&I custody are presently under judicial custody at central prison Karachi.
Sources close to the anti-fraud wing of inland revenue FBR have confirmed that this is the first time that a whole gang has been smashed by the Directorate of I&I-IR Karachi.
Authorities have reiterated that the time has come to eliminate menace of fake/flying invoices from country which has caused billions of rupees loss to national exchequer, however, authorities focus has now shifted to otherstack- holders/partners in supply chain of the instant scam who have claimed illegal input tax against bogus invoices.
The department has, however, decided to strictly follow guidelines of apex Courts in various judgements regarding recovery of evaded amount of tax and prosecution of beneficiaries/partners insuch supply chain scam. Arrest of more culprits in the scam is expected soon as the Court has issued arrest warrants of many accused who have reportedly gone underground but authorities as part of ongoing national drive against fraudsters and smugglers are putting all out efforts in collaboration of other law enforcement and intelligence agencies to apprehend fraudsters.
