New Delhi- In a major haul, the city’s tax department has detected tax evasion in undeclared sale of diamonds worth Rs 5,150 crore which were imported through the Delhi airport. Teams from trade and taxes department carried out raids at premises of 29 importers and dealers of diamond across the city and discovered the evasion of VAT to the tune of more than Rs 100 crore.
Commissioner of Trade and Taxes Rajendra Kumar said his department had launched the drive on July 12. “We have discovered undeclared sale of diamonds worth Rs 5,150 crore,” he said.
An senior official, who was part of the drive, said that the tax evasion could be to the tune of more Rs 100 crore. He, however, added that the exact amount of evasion would be computed once the probe was over.
Kumar said the traders had imported the items through Delhi airport and did not show their sale in their returns with a view to evade VAT on them.
Apart from diamond traders, dealers in computer parts, jewellery, chemicals and sanitary goods have also been intensively surveyed by the department and “significant results have been achieved”, said another official of the Tax department.
The premises of several dealers have been sealed and bank accounts have been attached.
In addition to the raids on the business premises of the unscrupulous dealers, the department has also intensified checking of goods vehicle on inter-state routes and other critical places.
In the month of July itself, the department has checked 203 goods vehicles and of these, 131 vehicles were found to be without proper documents.
