A Chinese national, identified as Alice Li alias Li Tengli, and an Indian director of a Noida-based company have been arrested by Central GST officials in connection with an alleged Rs. 9 crore GST evasion case.

Li, who was reportedly working as the security cashier for Tentac Led Display, and Vinay Kumar, the firm’s managing director, were presented before a special chief judicial magistrate’s court in Meerut on Wednesday.

According to investigators, Tentac Led Display, which manufactures TV screens and visual display units, misclassified its products under a lower GST slab to evade taxes. While LED displays attract 28% GST, the company allegedly paid only 18%, resulting in substantial losses to the exchequer. Officials estimate the total evasion to be around Ra. 9 crore.

The company is co-owned by Kumar and two other Chinese nationals. Li, who has been in India since 2019 on a tourist visa that expired in 2020, continued to reside and work in the country without valid documentation.

Sources said this is not Li’s first brush with the law. In 2021, she was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) for procuring SIM cards using forged documents and allegedly engaging in unlawful financial transactions.

During her arrest in the GST fraud case, Li protested, claiming she was being falsely implicated. However, officials maintain that the evidence clearly points to her involvement in the company’s financial operations.

Both accused are currently in judicial custody, and further investigation is underway to ascertain the extent of the fraud and possible involvement of other associates.

Lakshay Kumar Singh, Special Public Prosecutor informed that Li Tengli was also arrested by ED as she was involved in a scam of Rs. 100 crore which was published in newspapers naming it as Hawala scam and therefore she is a habitual offender.