FBR Press Release

Directorate General Intelligence & Investigation of FBR has pressed ahead with its probe into fake invoices racket by four accused held last week.

Further interrogation of two of the accused, namely Muhammad Shafqat S/o Muhammad Qasim and Mohsin Hanif S/o Muhammad Hanif, reveals that Shafqat, a computer expert, would take advantage of FBR website’s Taxpayer Facilitation Portal (e.fbr.gov.pk) and decode the user I.D. and password of in-operative/Nil file/closed units.

The modus operandi, as admitted by the accused, was that once a person approached Shafqat with NTN number of a registered person, the accused Shafqat fed that in the e-enrollment field of FBR’s web portal and got CNIC of the owner of that particular unit. After getting CNIC number, through e-enrollment, it was quite simple to get the user. I.D. and password of that unit and subsequent filing of e-returns. Subsequently, the accused would sell that User ID/Password to the people who sell /file sales tax returns and issue fake invoices. These invoices were then utilized for obtaining input adjustments and refunds.

Interrogation of other accused namely Mohsin has revealed that he possessed expertise in graphic designing and routinely altered particulars in registration certificates and other documents.

Four computers along with heaps of incriminating documents, including blank letter heads of different banks, blank KESC’s electricity bills and letter heads of different units, blank sales tax invoices and un-filled stamp papers having specimen signatures, were recovered from the accused. The DG Intelligence of FBR estimates that hundreds of millions of rupees were being evaded through this scam.

The accused have been remanded in custody and further investigation is under way