NEW DELHI : The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) arrested Harsvardhan Jain, the alleged mastermind behind the fake ‘embassy’ of Westarctica — a self-declared micronation that claims a slice of Antarctica but is not recognised by any country. Jain had rented a lavish two-storey house in Ghaziabad’s Kavi Nagar area, posing as a high-ranking diplomat and expanding his fake network to include other fictitious states like Seborga, Poulvia, and Lodonia.

The STF’s raid revealed the extent of the elaborate operation. Authorities seized Rs 44.7 lakh (Dh192,210) in cash, foreign currencies from multiple nations, 12 forged diplomatic passports, and documents with counterfeit Ministry of External Affairs seals. Also recovered were two fake PAN cards, 34 forged seals from various countries and entities, two fake press cards, shell company records, and four high-end vehicles sporting fake diplomatic license plates.

According to investigators, Jain used the faux diplomatic setup to run a job racket promising overseas placements. He is also suspected of laundering money through shell companies and has links to controversial figures, including godman Chandraswami and international arms dealer Adnan Khagoshi. Jain had a prior case registered against him in 2011 for illegal possession of satellite phones.