The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) on Wednesday uncovered an allegedly fake embassy operating out of a rented luxurious double-storeyed building in Ghaziabad and arrested the mastermind, Harsh Vardhan Jain, from the spot.
According to officials, Jain had converted a bungalow in Ghaziabad's Kavi Nagar into an 'embassy' for West Arctica.
He is accused of running a job racket to lure people with work abroad and was also allegedly part of a money laundering network.
Additional Director General of Police Amitabh Yash said the accused projected himself as a consul or ambassador of non-existent countries such as West Arctica, Saborga, Poulvia, and Lodonia, and moved around in vehicles bearing fake diplomatic number plates.
“The consul is a government official residing in a foreign country to represent the interests of their home country and its citizens. They handle various tasks like issuing visas, renewing passports, and providing assistance to citizens abroad, while also promoting trade relations,” Amitabh Yash said.
Investigations revealed Harshvardhan’s past connections with Chandraswami and Adnan Khagoshi, an international arms dealer,” the police said.
“In 2011, Harshvardhan was found with illegal satellite phones, and a case was registered at the Kavi Nagar police station in Ghaziabad,” he added.
Officials said the accused used morphed photographs with global leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and various heads of state, to influence gullible people and project himself as a powerful diplomat.
According to an India Today report, the STF recovered a trove of fake diplomatic paraphernalia during the raid, including: four luxury vehicles bearing diplomatic plates, twelve diplomatic passports of 'micronation' states, forged documents bearing seals of the Ministry of External Affairs, two fake PAN cards, thirty-four counterfeit seals of various countries and companies, two fake press cards, Rs 44.7 lakh in cash, foreign currency of multiple nations and eighteen additional fake diplomatic number plates.
A fresh case has been registered at Kavi Nagar police station and further legal proceedings are underway. Police said more arrests could follow as they probe Jain's network and possible collaborators.