UP Special Task Force arrests Haryana man accused in Rs 15,000 crore GST scam

The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF), Noida Unit, has arrested Baldev alias Balli, 38, a resident of Hisar in Haryana, in connection with an alleged Rs 15,000 crore Goods and Services Tax (GST) fraud , officials said on Saturday. He was apprehended from Hisar on Friday evening after evading arrest for several months and was carrying a reward of Rs 50,000 .

Investigators said Baldev was a key operative in a sprawling interstate syndicate that fraudulently obtained PAN details of unsuspecting individuals to secure GST registrations. Using these, the gang allegedly floated around 3,500 shell firms , generating bogus GST invoices and fake e-way bills to illegally claim input tax credit, inflicting massive losses on the exchequer.

The case surfaced in 2023 after fraudsters registered firms using the PAN of a senior television journalist , triggering a complaint at Sector 20 police station in Gautam Buddh Nagar. Subsequent investigations uncovered hundreds of bogus companies, complex financial layering, and international trade links , with some shell firms showing import-export transactions involving Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines , indicating the scam’s global footprint.

Police said more than 45 accused have been arrested so far , and the Gangsters Act has been invoked against 33 suspects , enabling authorities to attach properties and intensify recovery efforts. Assets worth over Rs 12 crore have already been seized, while input tax credit claims exceeding Rs 4,000 crore have been frozen .

During interrogation, Baldev revealed he completed his MBA from Punjab University in 2012, ran a medical shop that shut down due to losses, and later entered used-car trading. He allegedly became involved in GST fraud after contact with Delhi-based associate Archit Goyal , one of the key accused.

Multiple cases under IPC sections 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120B, along with provisions of the Gangsters Act, have been registered against him. Officials said further arrests, financial tracing, and property attachments are imminent , as the STF expands the investigation into one of India’s largest tax frauds.