Finance Ministry sources said, the number of such untraceable risky exporters has gone up to 1,474 as on date. The IGST refund is suspended in all such cases where there is adverse report post verification about the exporter or their suppliers. However, Customs officials have been sensitized to expedite refunds to genuine exporters in these difficult COVID-19 days.
According to sources, out of the 1,474 untraceable exporters, 1,125 exporters are from Delhi alone. Non-existing exporters have also been detected in large numbers at Surat, Thane, Faridabad and Kolkata.
These fraudulent exporters were mainly involved in export of ready-made garments, wallpaper, wall coverings, leather apparel, smoking pipes, mobile phones, cigarette holders, footwear, plastics, floor covering and ball bearings or roller bearings.