Guwahati: The Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI), Guwahati Zonal Unit, arrested Shiv Kumar Mittal, the proprietor of GM Coke in Meghalaya’s Byrnihat, for allegedly evading Goods and Services Tax (GST) exceeding Rs 150 crore.
Officers apprehended Mittal from Tinsukia in Assam on Friday evening after uncovering evidence of widespread fake invoicing linked to illegal coke procurement.
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Investigators claim Mittal sourced coke from unregistered and unauthorized units in Meghalaya.
He reportedly used forged documents to route the transactions through a web of dummy firms, tying many to individuals from economically weaker sections without their knowledge that their identities had been misused.
Authorities also estimate that Mittal generated bogus invoices worth over Rs 150 crore, thereby masking real transactions and evading significant tax liabilities.
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Investigators uncovered his name during a probe into a massive fake invoicing racket exposed in Guwahati earlier this month, where authorities took four individuals into custody.
Officials are currently interrogating Mittal to identify the full scale of the network and uncover others involved in the illegal trade of coal and coke across the region.
Meanwhile, DGGI officials stated that this arrest marks a critical step in their broader crackdown on tax fraud and illicit trade operations in the Northeast.
In the past eight months, the Guwahati Zonal Unit has arrested 11 individuals connected to similar GST evasion rackets operating across Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Sources close to the investigation believe the current case forms part of a larger syndicate that may have facilitated over Rs 1,000 crore in fake invoicing.
Shell companies allegedly played a central role in routing these transactions and avoiding GST obligations.
“This case is far from isolated. We’re uncovering deeper links and expect to take firm action against the masterminds behind illegal coke operations in rural pockets of Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh,” a senior DGGI official further said.