In a case that sounds straight out of a crime thriller, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (UP STF) has uncovered a fake embassy operating in Ghaziabad, run by one man—Harshvardhan Jain, who called himself the ambassador of four completely fictional countries: West Arctica, Saborga, Poulvia, and Lodonia.

A Grand Setup for a Grand Fraud

This bogus "embassy" was set up in a luxurious rented bungalow in Kavinagar, Ghaziabad. Jain adorned the premises with fake flags, morphed photographs with national leaders like the Prime Minister and President, and vehicles with fake diplomatic number plates—all to create the illusion of legitimacy.

To the public, it looked like a genuine diplomatic mission. In reality, it was a well-planned scam targeting job seekers and business aspirants, under the false promise of international opportunities.

Duping the Unemployed, Running Hawala

Harshvardhan’s primary modus operandi was to act as a broker for overseas employment and business setups, duping people of lakhs of rupees. He also allegedly ran a hawala racket via shell companies, suspected to have links with foreign criminals.

His fake “embassy” was equipped with:

• Four luxury vehicles (including Mercedes cars) with fake diplomatic plates

• 12 fake diplomatic passports

• Forged Ministry of External Affairs documents

• 2 fake PAN cards, 2 press cards

• 34 forged seals of various countries and corporations

• 18 diplomatic number plates

• Documents of several shell firms

• Rs 44.7 lakh in Indian and foreign currency

National Security Threat

The scale and sophistication of this operation point toward not just fraud but also a serious threat to national security. Fake diplomatic credentials and misuse of forged government seals could have enabled money laundering, illegal international transactions, or even espionage.

Long Criminal History

This isn’t Harshvardhan Jain’s first brush with the law. In 2011, he was caught with an illegal satellite phone, and officials say he had connections with notorious names like Tantrik Chandraswami and international arms dealer Adnan Khagoshi.

Ongoing Investigation

The STF has lodged a case at Kavinagar police station under serious charges including cheating, forgery, impersonation, and endangering national security. Officials confirmed that his racket was highly organized, and efforts are underway to uncover his network and international collaborators.