Traders ferry gold between Mumbai, Hyderabad evading taxes

Several jewellers in Hyderabad and Mumbai are allegedly trying to evade Goods Service Tax (GST) by ferrying gold and gold ornaments between Mumbai and Hyderabad without paying taxes.

Sangareddy: Several jewellers in Hyderabad and Mumbai are allegedly trying to evade Goods Service Tax (GST) by ferrying gold and gold ornaments between Mumbai and Hyderabad without paying taxes.

There used to be a Commercial Taxes department check post on the Karnataka-Telangana border at Chiragpally till July 1, 2017, when GST was introduced. However, the check post was removed and though the department said it would set up a mobile check post on NH-65, but it was not realised until now. Incidents of illegal transportation of gold between these two cities without proper documents have been coming to the fore recently.

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When the Task Force of the Excise department checked a private travel bus from Mumbai on Tuesday, they found a man carrying 4.84 kg of gold ornaments without any documents. The other day, another man was found carrying nearly 3 kg of gold ornaments from Hyderabad to Mumbai. It came to light when the ornaments were stolen from the bus on July 26.

Interestingly, jewellers were found to be using buses of only one particular travel agency to transport the gold ornaments between these two cities. In both the above mentioned incidents of gold being seized, it was on buses of one travel agency. The police also seized 7 kg of gold during a regular check on the Karnataka-Telangana border on October 27, 2023, when the election code was in force. The gold was being carried in a car without any proper documents. Not only gold, but several other goods such as electronic appliances and construction material were being transported across the border evading crores of tax to the State’s exchequer, officials said, stressing on the need for a check post at Chiragpally to check the illegal transportation of goods and ornaments.