Was a Fake Embassy of Fictional Nations Operating in Ghaziabad?

Ghaziabad, July 23 (NationPress) In a shocking discovery, the Noida Special Task Force (STF) revealed on Wednesday that they had dismantled a fraudulent embassy functioning from a rented house in Ghaziabad's Kavi Nagar area of Uttar Pradesh.

Parked outside were numerous luxury cars adorned with phony diplomatic license plates, which were intended to create a facade of legitimacy for this illicit operation.

The alleged mastermind behind this scheme, Harsh Vardhan Jain, was apprehended at the scene, as confirmed by officials.

Initial investigations indicate that Jain had transformed the bungalow into a so-called 'embassy' representing imaginary or self-proclaimed micronations. He falsely asserted representation for various fictitious entities, including West Arctica, Saborga, Poulvia, and Lodonia.

Authorities disclosed that Jain masqueraded as an ambassador for these nonexistent nations and employed various deceptive methods to mislead others. He utilized forged diplomatic plates and other counterfeit documents to establish a semblance of credibility.

Officers reported that his operation heavily relied on deceit, featuring the display of luxury vehicles and altered photographs with notable global figures, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, and several international leaders.

These manipulated images were allegedly used to sway unsuspecting individuals and project himself as a significant global influencer.

Images seized from the location also hinted at Jain's potential connections with international arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi and controversial self-proclaimed godman Chandraswami.

Acting on intelligence from central agencies, STF personnel executed a raid on July 22, capturing Jain on-site.

The investigation has since uncovered that Jain's scam was not restricted to his fabricated diplomatic identity. His scheme involved defrauding individuals and businesses by promising aid in international business ventures and employment opportunities abroad.

Authorities also suspect he ran a hawala network using shell companies to facilitate his illegal activities. Officials noted that a satellite phone was confiscated from Jain back in 2011.

During the recent raid, a significant amount of counterfeit diplomatic materials was seized.

This included four luxury vehicles with fake diplomatic plates, 12 bogus diplomatic passports linked to fictitious micronations, two fake PAN cards, forged documents bearing the seals of the Ministry of External Affairs, and 34 counterfeit seals purportedly from various nations and corporations.

Additionally, authorities discovered two fake press cards, an astounding Rs 44.7 lakh in cash, foreign currency from several countries, and 18 more fabricated diplomatic plates.

A new FIR has been lodged at the Kavi Nagar police station, and further legal actions are in progress.

Authorities believe that additional individuals may be implicated in this scam.

Investigations are ongoing.