Announcing a decisive blow against financial irregularities, Punjab Finance, Excise and Taxation Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema on Tuesday revealed that the State Taxation Department has detained more than 145 vehicles and seized goods worth approximately Rs. 4.35 crore in a massive enforcement operation targeting the iron and steel sector.
Revealing this in a press communique issued here, the Excise ans Taxation Minister Cheema said, "This large-scale drive in the Mandi Gobindgarh and Khanna belt was specifically engineered to dismantle bogus billing networks and halt the undocumented movement of goods, with expected penalties against the violators set to exceed Rs. 2.5 crore."
Disclosing the operational details, Minister Cheema said that building upon the momentum of a successful enforcement action conducted on June 5, 2026, the State Investigation and Prevention Units (SIPUs) executed this latest synchronised crackdown. "The joint teams from SIPU Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Shambhu, Patiala, and Bathinda worked in close, seamless coordination to intercept evasion networks across the state's primary iron and steel hubs", he added.
Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema further informed that the special drive resulted in the detention of more than 145 vehicles transporting iron scrap, steel products, and related materials for intensive verification. The Minister said, "Total volume of these intercepted goods is estimated to be over 145 metric tonnes, commanding a substantial market value of around Rs. 4.35 crore."
Highlighting the nature of the offenses, the Finance Minister explained that preliminary scrutiny exposed multiple instances where industrial goods were being moved without valid invoices and e-way bills, or were backed by highly suspicious and unverifiable documentation. He emphasised that comprehensive investigations are currently underway and formal legal proceedings under the GST Act have already been initiated against all the errant operators.
Reiterating the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led Government's firm stance, Finance Minister Cheema asserted that the Excise and Taxation Department remains unyielding in its commitment to safeguarding state revenue and fostering fair trade practices through intelligence-led enforcement. He said that such highly coordinated operations by the SIPUs will continue relentlessly across Punjab to reinforce strict GST compliance and protect honest taxpayers.