Police Arrest Man For Running Fake Embassy, Defrauding Job Seekers
Police have arrested a 47-year-old man accused of operating a fake embassy from a rented house in Ghaziabad, on the outskirts of New Delhi, defrauding job seekers with false promises of overseas employment.
The suspect, identified as Harsh Vardhan Jain, allegedly posed as an ambassador for fictional countries including “West Arctica, Saborga, Poulvia and Lodonia,” police said.
According to authorities, Jain used luxury cars with fake diplomatic plates and shared doctored photographs of himself with Indian leaders to support his claims.
“His main activities involved acting as a broker to secure work in foreign countries for companies and private individuals, as well as operating a hawala money transfer racket through shell companies,” the police said in a statement. He is also accused of money laundering.
During a raid on his property, officers reportedly recovered $53,500 in cash, along with doctored passports and forged documents bearing stamps from India’s foreign ministry.
Police added that Westarctica — one of the entities Jain claimed to represent — is actually a US-registered nonprofit focused on research and preservation in Western Antarctica.
In a statement, the organisation confirmed appointing Jain as an “Honorary Consul to India” after a donation, but stressed he was “never granted the position or authority of ambassador.”
Jain has yet to comment on the allegations.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
