INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

New Delhi Man Accused of Running Fake Embassy From Rental Home

He claimed to be an ambassador from countries like “Seborga” and “Westarctica.”

A man has been arrested for running a fake embassy for countries that do not exist out of a rented residential building on the outskirts of New Delhi, India. The police allege that Harshvardhan Jain, 47, claimed to be working as an ambassador for fictional countries like “Seborga” and “Westarctica,” and that he had been taking people’s money under the guise of helping them secure employment overseas. Seborga is the name of a village in northern Italy, while Westarctica is the name of an unrecognized micronation in Antarctica. Police found cars with fake diplomatic plates, doctored photographs of the suspect with various world leaders, and fake seals belonging to India’s foreign ministry and more than 30 other countries at Jain’s residence, as well as more than $50,000 in Indian rupees in addition to cash in foreign currencies. The Associated Press reported that Sushil Ghule, a senior police officer with Uttar Pradesh state’s special task force in northern India, said the suspect is also being investigated for money laundering. He is currently facing charges of forgery, impersonation, and possessing fake documents.