In 2022-23, GST evasion cases totalled 15,562 involving an amount of Rs 1,31,613 crore and a recovery of Rs 33,226 crore. The number of arrests last year in these cases was 190, according to the data provided by Sitharaman. In the current fiscal year up to May, the customs department has detected 2,986 cases of outright smuggling with a value of Rs 1,031 crore. The Centre has unleashed a number of measures to plug the menace of GST evasion.
The finance minister said authorities have been using robust data analytics and AI to identify and track risky taxpayers and detect tax evasion. Authorities are also carrying out a special drive to weed out fake registrations.