Fake embassy vehicle number plates, counterfeit currency, and doctored photographs with political A-listers - these were just a few of the ploys used by a Ghaziabad resident to lure unsuspecting individuals with promises of jobs abroad. Posing as a diplomat from Micronations like Lodonia and West Arctica, he masked an elaborate hawala operation under the guise of elite diplomatic status and government authority.
On Tuesday morning, the Noida Unit of the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (UP STF) busted the operation and arrested the man behind it, Harsh Vardhan Jain. Operating from a rented house, Jain posed as the ambassador of countries such as West Arctica, Saborga, Poulvia, and Lodonia.
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According to ANI, the Additional Director General (ADG) stated that several documents related to shell companies were recovered, all of which were being used to run a hawala racket. Among the seized items were fake seals of the Ministry of External Affairs, two forged PAN cards, 34 counterfeit seals, and 18 fake diplomatic number plates of various countries and companies. Additionally, Rs 44,70,000 in cash was recovered from the house.
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SSP STF Sushil Ghule stated, “The UP STF Noida unit arrested an accused running a fake embassy in Ghaziabad on July 22. His name is Harsh Vardhan Jain, and he resides in Kavinagar, Ghaziabad. He used to introduce himself as the ambassador of countries like West Arctica, Saborga, Poulvia, and Lodonia. Several vehicles bearing unapproved diplomatic number plates have been seized. He also used morphed photographs with prominent dignitaries and made false promises of overseas employment. Through shell companies, he operated a hawala racket.”
Westarctica is a self-declared micronation founded by a U.S. Navy officer in 2001, but it has never been recognised by any government. Jain posed as its ambassador and duped people with false promises of foreign jobs. To further cement his fake identity, he named his rented bungalow the “Grand Duchy of Westarctica,” decorated it with makeshift embassy flags, and displayed morphed photos of himself with political figures.
Jain's Past Life
Harsh Vardhan Jain comes from a life of opulence. His father, J. D. Jain, was once a prominent industrialist with marble mines in Rajasthan, as reported by India Today. After completing his BBA in Ghaziabad, Harsh went on to pursue further studies at the London College of Applied Science. It was after his father’s death and the decline of the family business that Jain began contemplating deceptive schemes involving forgery.
The report further states that it was in the 2000s when Jain met the self-proclaimed godman Chandraswami, who later introduced him to international arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi and London-based businessman Ehsan Ali Syed. According to media reports, Jain operated a network of shell companies that facilitated money laundering. From brokering fake business deals to enabling illegal money transfers, Jain's record is riddled with fraudulent activities.
In 2011, Jain returned to India and soon came under police surveillance due to his extravagant lifestyle.
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