MUMBAI Central Commissionerate has exposed a multi-million dollar GST evasion scheme by transporting high-end jewellery, reports New Delhi's Indo-Asian News Service.
Tax authorities have seized gold bars, diamond-studded gold jewellery, designer jewellery, precious stones like Solitaire Diamonds, rubies and pearls worth around INR260 million (US$37.4 million).
Following a specific tip-off that certain jewellers from Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi and Kolkata were supplying gold and gold jewellery studded articles with or without precious stones to certain counterparts in Mumbai, the GST Commissionerate launched an investigation.
Valuable goods were being transported by some courier companies through the airlines and after due verification, the Mumbai Central GST Anti-Evasion team raided the premises of Concor Air Ltd at the Santacruz Air Cargo terminal to seize seven consignments of gold and gold jewellery.
The GST sleuths also detected a unique modus operandi whereby the goods were supplied by the outstation jewellers to various jewellers in Mumbai by using an aggregator as a courier agent, who would pick up the consignment on behalf of the jewellers.
In the declaration to the airlines, the aggregator acted as a consignor as well as consignee to conceal the names of the real suppliers and receivers, said a GST official.
Mumbai Commissioner for GST Rajesh Saran termed it as a 'unique modus operandi of transportation of goods by air without paying GST by using an aggregator' which has been exposed for the first time.
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Tax authorities have seized gold bars, diamond-studded gold jewellery, designer jewellery, precious stones like Solitaire Diamonds, rubies and pearls worth around INR260 million (US$37.4 million).
Following a specific tip-off that certain jewellers from Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi and Kolkata were supplying gold and gold jewellery studded articles with or without precious stones to certain counterparts in Mumbai, the GST Commissionerate launched an investigation.
Valuable goods were being transported by some courier companies through the airlines and after due verification, the Mumbai Central GST Anti-Evasion team raided the premises of Concor Air Ltd at the Santacruz Air Cargo terminal to seize seven consignments of gold and gold jewellery.
The GST sleuths also detected a unique modus operandi whereby the goods were supplied by the outstation jewellers to various jewellers in Mumbai by using an aggregator as a courier agent, who would pick up the consignment on behalf of the jewellers.
In the declaration to the airlines, the aggregator acted as a consignor as well as consignee to conceal the names of the real suppliers and receivers, said a GST official.
Mumbai Commissioner for GST Rajesh Saran termed it as a 'unique modus operandi of transportation of goods by air without paying GST by using an aggregator' which has been exposed for the first time.
WORLD SHIPPING