The Assam Special Task Force (STF) has busted an alleged multi-state Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Input Tax Credit (ITC) fraud network involving suspected fraudulent transactions worth Rs 33.73 crore, with the arrest of three more accused, including the alleged mastermind. The latest arrests have taken the total number of people detained in connection with the case to 12, officials said on Thursday.

The alleged kingpin, Vinit Kumar Poddar, was arrested from Kolkata on Wednesday night following an operation by the STF. Two other accused, Surajit Barman and Vivek Kumar Gupta, were also apprehended from Kolkata's Tiljala area based on information gathered during the ongoing investigation. The STF said the arrests were made as part of efforts to trace the network allegedly involved in generating fraudulent ITC claims across multiple states.

Speaking to reporters in Guwahati, STF Senior Superintendent of Police Pranab Kumar Pegu said investigations into the case are continuing, with authorities following the money trail and identifying other individuals who may have played a role in the alleged fraud. The case has so far resulted in 12 arrests across two separate cases registered in June and July this year.

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According to the STF, the first case registered in June led to the arrest of eight accused during the initial phase of the investigation. Investigators later identified Poddar as a suspected key figure who allegedly coordinated the GST ITC fraud network. In the second case, the arrest of Rishikesh Kalita provided further leads, helping authorities trace and arrest Barman and Gupta from Kolkata.

The arrested individuals have been booked under non-bailable sections related to cheating, forgery and the use of forged documents, officials said. They will be produced before the appropriate court as legal proceedings continue. Investigators are examining financial records, transactions and documentation linked to the alleged fraudulent activities to determine the full scale of the operation.

The STF suspects that the alleged fraud network operated across multiple states through a coordinated mechanism involving fake or manipulated GST-related documents. Authorities are now expanding the probe to identify additional suspects, track financial links and establish the involvement of other entities connected to the alleged Rs 33 crore GST fraud.

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