Tax Evasion Conspiracy: GPS Devices On Vehicles Of Punjab Department | Ludhiana News – Times of India

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Ludhiana: Punjab Taxation Department’s plan to track vehicles by installing portable GPS devices has come to the fore after 12 devices were detected during recent checking.
Confirming the recovery of the GPS devices, Sagar Setia, Additional Commissioner, State Tax-1, said, “This incident has come to our notice during routine surveillance in the mobile wing. We have filed a complaint with the Cyber ​​Cell of Ludhiana Police to trace the contact details of those in whose name the mobile SIM cards found inside the GPS devices are registered. As soon as this information is received, action will be taken against the culprits including FIR. We have asked our field officers to be more alert.”
Of the 12 devices found so far, nine were installed in four vehicles of the Ludhiana Mobile Wing Office of the department, two in the Jalandhar Mobile Wing vehicles and one in the Patiala Mobile Wing Office vehicle.
Tax evaders avoided checking by keeping an eye on the teams of the department
According to sources, it is believed to be the handiwork of tax evaders, especially passers-by (organised gang members, including transporters and other persons involved in facilitating illegal movement of goods without paying tax). .
They probably resorted to this to track officers and their vehicles to find out where the officers had set up checkpoints or planned to conduct raids so that passers-by could use alternative routes to their vehicles or find suitable ones. choose the time when the mobile wing teams were away in their office and could move around freely.
Apparently when the recent checks failed to produce any result, it raised suspicion from the officials of the department as usually many criminals are caught in a single day.
1138, dated November 11, 2021, sent to ACP Cyber ​​Cell, Ludhiana Police, Assistant Commissioner of State Taxes (Mobile Wing), Ludhiana said, “After being suspicious during the last few days, our vehicles were inspected. In which magnetic GPS trackers have been recovered, which were probably installed to keep an eye on the location of the officers during checking. You are requested to furnish the details of SIM used in these GPS devices and the details of phone numbers, call records, IMEIs of the mobiles from which these GPS devices were being monitored so that appropriate action would be taken against persons fitting these devices. action can be taken.