Daijiworld Media Network - Ghaziabad
Ghaziabad, Jul 23: In a dramatic crackdown, the Noida Special Task Force (STF) uncovered an elaborate scam on Wednesday, involving a bogus embassy operating out of a rented bungalow in Ghaziabad’s upscale Kavi Nagar locality.
The front yard of the residence showcased several high-end luxury cars—each flaunting counterfeit diplomatic number plates—intended to mislead onlookers and officials into believing in the embassy’s authenticity.
The mastermind of this elaborate con, identified as Harsh Vardhan Jain, was arrested during a coordinated raid led by the STF, following intel from central agencies.
Preliminary investigations reveal that Jain had transformed the residential property into a pseudo-embassy, allegedly representing non-existent or self-invented “micronations” such as West Arctica, Saborga, Poulvia, and Lodonia. Claiming to be an “ambassador” of these fabricated entities, Jain peddled fake credentials, created forged documents, and even used doctored photographs to establish a façade of global legitimacy.
Authorities discovered altered images featuring Jain with prominent leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam—photographs believed to have been used to dupe individuals and companies into trusting his false stature. Among other startling finds were visuals suggesting possible links with notorious international arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi and controversial spiritual figure Chandraswami.
The raid, conducted on July 22, unearthed a massive trove of fraudulent diplomatic paraphernalia. Officials seized:
• Four luxury vehicles sporting fake diplomatic license plates
• Twelve counterfeit diplomatic passports from fictitious micronations
• Two forged PAN cards
• Dozens of falsified documents and rubber stamps bearing emblems of the Ministry of External Affairs and various international agencies
• Thirty-four fake seals linked to different governments and corporations
• A satellite phone, previously recovered from Jain in 2011
• Two fabricated press cards
• Rs 44.7 lakh in cash
• Foreign currency from several countries
• Eighteen more forged diplomatic plates
Investigators believe Jain’s activities went far beyond symbolic fraud. He allegedly defrauded individuals and businesses by offering fake overseas job placements and investment support. Officials also suspect a larger financial network at play, involving hawala transactions through shell companies.
A fresh FIR has been lodged at the Kavi Nagar police station, and authorities are now probing deeper into potential accomplices and the full scale of the scam.
The investigation remains active, with officials stating that more revelations—and arrests—are likely to follow.