The Curious Case of Ghaziabad’s ‘Ambassador’: Man Ran Fake Embassy of Westarctica for Nearly a Decade

UP Police uncover elaborate scam involving fake passports, luxury cars, and unrecognised micronations

A rented house in the quiet Kavi Nagar area of Ghaziabad turned out to be the unlikely headquarters of an “embassy” — one that never legally existed. The man behind it, Harshvardhan Jain, 47, now sits in police custody after running what officials say was an elaborate diplomatic charade that lasted nearly a decade.

Jain wasn’t just playing dress-up. According to Uttar Pradesh Police, he created forged documents, printed fake passports, hoarded ₹44.7 lakh in cash, collected foreign currency, and flaunted luxury cars — all while claiming to represent nations that aren’t even recognised on the world map.

From Ghaziabad to ‘Westarctica’

Turns out, Jain’s chosen nation was Westarctica, a self-declared micronation claiming territory in western Antarctica. Established in the early 2000s by an American named Travis McHenry, Westarctica is mostly known as a novelty project — one with a website, fake government titles, and a niche internet following.

To most people, it’s a curiosity. To Harshvardhan Jain, it was an opportunity.

He set up shop in a fancy part of Ghaziabad and declared himself the “Honorary Consul of Westarctica.” Not stopping there, he also claimed to be an envoy of other micronations including Seborga, Ladonia, and even a completely fictitious entity he called “Poulvia.”

None of these entities are recognized by the Indian government — or any major government for that matter.

A deep rabbit hole of deceit

According to ADG (Law & Order) Amitabh Yash, Jain wasn’t just issuing press statements and posing for photos. He was reportedly using his fake diplomatic status to run a full-fledged operation — with suspected links to hawala channels and possibly even arms dealers.

The arrest followed a tip-off, and what cops discovered floored them:

• ₹44.7 lakh in hard cash

• Several luxury vehicles, including foreign models

• Dozens of fake IDs, passports, and stamps

• A stash of foreign currencies

• Official-looking letterheads of fake consulates

• Unverified arms-related documents (now under probe)

“This wasn’t just cosplay,” said a police officer involved in the case. “He built a system — symbols of authority, money movement, international links. It’s clear there’s more to this than delusions of grandeur.”

The fake office that looked official enough

Jain’s ‘embassy’ had it all — flags, signboards, international logos, desks with miniature globes, and even framed photographs of imaginary state events. Investigators say the office design was meticulous enough to dupe walk-ins and online visitors alike.

One retired bureaucrat from Ghaziabad told HT, “I once received a printed invite from his so-called consulate two years ago. I ignored it, but I had no idea it was a full-blown scam.”

Locals said Jain often dressed in tailored suits, introduced himself as an international diplomat, and maintained a low-profile — except when attending city events or calling press meets on “international cooperation.”

How the scam survived this long

So how did Jain keep this going for nearly a decade?

• He leveraged the obscurity of micronations, most of which don’t actively deny affiliations

• The internet helped him manufacture legitimacy — with custom websites, social media profiles, and embassy-style communications

• He used fake seals and stamps that looked just official enough to confuse lower-level officials or foreign nationals unfamiliar with diplomatic norms

One key date? 2016 — the year Jain claims he was appointed Westarctica’s honorary consul. That appointment, which remains unverifiable, is said to have given him “just enough of a story” to start building his racket.

Micronations: A grey zone of internet diplomacy

To be clear, micronations like Westarctica or Seborga aren’t illegal per se — they’re mostly harmless collectives or satirical projects. But what Jain did was blur that line.

By presenting himself as a legal envoy in India, collecting funds, and offering alleged services like visa consultation or foreign investments under a fake diplomatic banner, he crossed into criminal territory.

Here’s a quick snapshot of Jain’s claimed affiliations:

Micronations are generally seen as symbolic protests or artistic expressions — but when they’re exploited to launder money or build fake identities, it becomes a national security concern.

What now for Harshvardhan Jain?

Police say they’re widening the probe. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) have been looped in. Investigators are now looking into whether Jain had contacts abroad and whether his ‘diplomatic’ operation was used to help people launder black money or buy access to prohibited items.

At the time of arrest, Jain reportedly told officers, “I was doing diplomatic work.” That won’t fly in court.

For now, he’s been booked under multiple sections related to forgery, fraud, impersonation, and possible violations of India’s Passport Act. Arms-related charges may follow, depending on what turns up in the foreign documents police found during the raid.

One senior UP cop summed it up: “You can’t fake a country, fake an office, fake passports and then expect no one to notice — at least not forever.”