$36 million scam, 162 foreign trips: Here's what investigation into fake embassy case reveals

The investigation against Harshvardhan Jain, a man who was arrested for running a fake embassy in India's Ghaziabad for eight years, has now revealed multiple shocking details. As per a report by NDTV, there is a possibility of ₹300 crore ($36 million), 162 foreign trips in 10 years and multiple overseas bank accounts in the scam. The man was arrested last week from a rented two-storey house in Ghaziabad. He had claimed the house as an embassy. Police found that Jain was allegedly running a job racket and was also involved in money laundering through the Hawala route. During the raid of the house, police found four cars with fake diplomatic number plates, forged documents and a luxury watch collection.

'Grand Duchy of Westarctica'

The police found a nameplate that read "Grand Duchy of Westarctica" outside the house. The investigation revealed that Jain used to use this front for networking and then lure people with jobs abroad. The fake embassy has been running since 2017. The accused used to organise charity events, including bhandaras (community feasts), outside the 'embassy' to keep up the show.

Moreover, during the raid, police also found a photo of Jain with the controversial "godman" Chandraswami and Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi. The investigation found that it was Chandraswami who introduced Jain to Khassogi and conman Ahsan Ali Sayed. Sayed allegedly worked with Jain to open 25 shell companies that were used to launder money. Sayed was born in India's Hyderabad and later opted a Turkish citizenship.

What is Westarctica?

In 2001, US Navy officer Travis McHenry founded the micronation called Westartica. He calls himself the Grand Duke of Westartica, which is located in Antarctica and has a land area of 620,000 square miles. He claims the country has 2356 citizens, but none of them live there. The Grand Duchy of West Arctic is located in California, which spreads awareness about climate change and Antarctica. The so-called country has a flag and, currency.