Indian police have apprehended a person accused of working a complicated fraudulent embassy, which allegedly defrauded quite a few victims by impersonating a diplomat from fictitious nations. The audacious scheme, primarily based in Ghaziabad, highlights the enduring vulnerability to scams promising unique alternatives.
Harshvardhan Jain, aged 47, was arrested by the Particular Job Drive (STF) of Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday following a raid on his purported embassy. Jain is alleged to have posed as an envoy for varied made-up ‘micronations’ akin to Ladonia, Westarctica, Seborga, and Poulvia. He reportedly promised victims profitable employment and enterprise ventures in these non-existent territories, extracting substantial charges in return.
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The operation was meticulously orchestrated from a lavish rented bungalow in Ghaziabad’s upscale Kavi Nagar space. Right here, Jain cultivated the picture of a rich and influential diplomat, using cast paperwork, counterfeit diplomatic automotive plates, and fabricated international connections to deceive his targets. Authorities on the scene recovered 4 autos fitted with pretend diplomatic quantity plates, cast ‘diplomatic passports’ for 12 completely different micronations, 34 cast stamps for varied nations, Rs 44 lakh in money, and a group of luxurious watches, underscoring the dimensions of the alleged deception.
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In line with Sushil Ghule, a senior police officer with Uttar Pradesh state’s Particular Job Drive, Jain can be suspected of participating in cash laundering actions via shell corporations established in jurisdictions together with the UK, Mauritius, Dubai, and several other African nations.
The length of Jain’s ’embassy’ operation stays unconfirmed, however police sources indicated that he openly displayed the flags of his fabricated micronations, akin to Ladonia, Westarctica, and Seborga, exterior the rented property. This, coupled with the presence of luxurious automobiles, was designed to lend an air of authenticity to the institution for people much less conversant in worldwide geography.
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This incident is just not an remoted prevalence within the annals of worldwide fraud. Notably, the same case emerged in Ghana some years prior, the place a bogus US embassy operated undetected for a full decade earlier than its eventual closure. Such instances underscore the persistent risk posed by schemes that exploit the attract of diplomatic status and worldwide alternative.
