Indian police have arrested a man accused of running a fake embassy near the capital, New Delhi.
Harshvardhan Jain reportedly duped people for money by promising overseas employment, a senior police official with Uttar Pradesh state’s special task force said.
Jain, who is 47 years old, introduced himself as an ambassador or an advisor for entities like “Seborga” or “Westarctica,” Sushil Ghule said.
Investigators told India Today outlet that Jain would tell unsuspecting people that he could facilitate work or contracts in “friendly” nations because of his diplomatic clout.
These friendly nations he named were, which, in theory, can mean a physical or virtual state designed to resemble a sovereign state.
But these mock states are not recognized by any government in the world, even though several of them have issued their own flags and passports.
Police recovered nearly 4.5 million Indian rupees ($52,095) and other foreign currencies in cash after raiding the property.
What else do we know?
Jain ran operations from a rented property with luxury cars with fake diplomatic license plates parked outside.
Inside, investigators found doctored photos with world leaders, counterfeit passports and fake seals of India’s Foreign Ministry and imaginary nations.
Jain was also suspected of illegal money laundering through shell companies abroad, Ghuli said. He is also facing charges of forgery, impersonation and possessing fake documents.
Police recovered nearly 4.5 million Indian rupees ($52,095) and other foreign currencies in cash from Jain’s rented premises.
Edited by: Elizabeth Schumacher
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