Ghaziabad: Harshvardhan Jain, the man arrested for running a bogus embassy in Ghaziabad, maintained at least 11 bank accounts in four different countries, including the UAE, UK, Mauritius, and Cameroon, Uttar Pradesh’s Special Task Force (STF) has revealed.
The 47-year-old, who posed as an ambassador representing fictitious micronations such as “Westarctica”, “Saborga”, “Lodonia”, and “Poulvia”, used these accounts to orchestrate a massive international scam by promising overseas jobs and diplomatic affiliations to unsuspecting victims.
According to STF officials, Jain had six bank accounts in Dubai, three in Mauritius, one in London, and one in India. He is also accused of setting up a network of fake companies abroad — among them East India Company UK Ltd, State Trading Corporation UK, Island General Trading in Dubai, Indira Overseas Ltd in Mauritius, and Cameroon Ispat SARL in Cameroon.
Jain’s name surfaced during investigations into international fraudster Ehsan Ali Syed, who was arrested in London in 2022 and extradited to Switzerland the following year. Syed and his associates are accused of defrauding people of nearly €70 million between 2008 and 2011. Authorities are now examining Jain’s possible role in Syed’s criminal operations.
An MBA from London and BBA graduate from Ghaziabad, Jain allegedly laundered money using at least 16 companies registered in the UK and two separate Permanent Account Number (PAN) cards. STF officials said Jain’s activities extended into hawala channels for money transfers.
A raid on his Ghaziabad property led to the recovery of Rs 44 lakh in cash, foreign currency, four high-end cars with fake diplomatic number plates, 18 spare diplomatic plates, ‘diplomatic passports’ of 12 micronations, forged documents bearing the stamp of India’s Ministry of External Affairs, stamps of 34 countries, and a collection of luxury watches.
Jain operated under the guise of an international envoy for over seven years, using a combination of fake titles, embassies, and forged identities to exploit people across borders. The STF continues to investigate the scope of his financial and diplomatic fraud.
