CBI-backed Interpol Red Notices doubled since 2023 with India's diplomatic, tech push
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Indian Express
11 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Fake diplomat arrested from Ghaziabad: Multiple shell companies, 11 bank accounts in 4 countries — ‘Ambassador of Westarctica's' ops dates back to 2 decades
After the Uttar Pradesh Police's Special Task Force (STF) busted a fake embassy operating from a rented house in Ghaziabad's Kavi Nagar, and arrested a man who claimed to be the 'Ambassador of Westarctica', the police on Thursday said that they have uncovered a complex international financial web – stretching from Rajasthan's marble mines to banks in Dubai, Mauritius and the United Kingdom. In a statement released on Wednesday, the STF said that 47-year-old Harsh Vardhan Jain had registered multiple shell companies abroad and maintained at least 11 bank accounts in four countries. It added that Jain's financial operations dated back to nearly two decades and were built on a 'modus operandi of fraud, hawala and brokerage' carried out under the garb of international diplomacy. The police said that Jain, who was arrested late Tuesday, has admitted during questioning that he worked closely with controversial figures like godman Chandraswami and arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi during his time in London. He also allegedly partnered with Ehsan Ali Syed, a Hyderabad-based businessman who took Turkish citizenship and is now serving a six-and-a-half-year sentence in Switzerland for defrauding multiple companies by promising large loans and taking brokerage fees in advance. According to the STF, Jain's ties to Syed were facilitated by Chandraswami, who introduced the two during Jain's stay in London in the early 2000s. It added that one of Syed's firms, Western Advisory Group – based in Switzerland and Bahrain – collected over 25 million pounds in brokerage from Swiss companies between 2008 and 2011. 'In collaboration with Ehsan, Harsh Vardhan formed several shell firms, including State Trading Corporation Limited, East India Company UK Limited, Island General Trading Co LLC (UK), Indira Overseas Limited (Mauritius), and Cameron Ispat SARL (Cameroon),' the STF said. Investigators have also identified at least six bank accounts that have been linked to Jain in UAE, three in UK, one in Mauritius, and one in India, the STF said. According to the STF, Jain's father J D Jain was a reputed industrialist and the owner of Jain Rolling Mill in Ghaziabad. '…there were mines in Banswara and Kakroli in Rajasthan by the name of Indira Marbles and 'JD Marbles', where (Jain) has also worked. Marble was also exported to London from these mines,' it added. In his statement, the police said, Jain has said that after completing his education, he had moved to Dubai in 2006 and allegedly began duping businessmen in the name of providing jobs abroad. 'He worked as a broker in Gulf and African countries. When he returned to India in 2011, he resumed operations from his family home before shifting to the rented bungalow,' the STF statement said. Jain, who the police said holds an MBA degree from London, had allegedly been using his connections and the illusion of a diplomatic clout to convince businessmen that he could secure them international deals and jobs abroad. 'He used false flags, fake diplomatic number plates, forged passports and seals to give the impression of being an influential international broker,' Senior Superintendent of Police (STF) Ghule Sushil Chandrabhan had told The Indian Express. He had also acquired honorary 'ambassador' and 'consigliere' titles from several self-styled micronations like Seborga, Poulvia, and Lodonia, which he used to influence people and extract money, police had said.
Time of India
38 minutes ago
- Time of India
Drug material seized from closed factory
Navi Mumbai: The Narcotics Control Bureau has seized contraband items worth Rs 89 crore from a Mahad MIDC-based company. A similar operation was conducted in the company a few years ago. The 47kg of narcotic items comprise 34kg of ketamine powder and 13 litres of ketamine liquid. Following a tip-off, the NCB sleuths and the Mahad MIDC police jointly raided the company premises on July 23, leading to the seizure and lodging of the FIR wth the arrest of a few accused. However, both the agencies remain tightlipped about the company and the accused. A Malad (West) resident and three Mahad residents have been made accused so far. Sources have confirmed that the illegal activity went on inside the closed company with the local police remaining clueless. —Umesh K Parida
Hindustan Times
41 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Air Force command pauses M18 pistol use after airman's death at Wyoming base
The U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command has paused the use of a handgun following the death of a Security Forces airman at a base in Wyoming. And just this month, Sig Sauer announced that the Michigan State Police is adopting the M18 as its primary sidearm.( The use of the M18 pistol, a variant of another gun that has been the target of lawsuits over unintentional discharge allegations, was paused Monday 'until further notice' following the 'tragic incident' on Sunday at the F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, the command said in a statement. Security Forces combat arms airmen at all command bases 'will conduct 100% inspections of the M18 handguns to identify any immediate safety concerns,' it said. The name of the active-duty airman, who was assigned to the 90th Security Forces Squadron, 90th Missile Wing at the base, and details of what happened have not been released. The missile wing said it was an isolated incident and there is no threat to the base or community. Security Forces specialists protect Air Force bases. The gun is made by New Hampshire-based manufacturer Sig Sauer, which is defending itself against multiple lawsuits alleging that its popular related gun, the P320 pistol, can go off without the trigger being pulled. Sig Sauer denies the claims, saying the P320 is safe and the problem is user error. It has prevailed in some cases. The P320 was adopted by the U.S. military as M17 and M18 pistols, and the M18 is now the official sidearm of all branches of the U.S. military, Sig Sauer says on its website. In 2019, Sig Sauer announced it had delivered its 100,000th M17 and M18s to the U.S. military. The pause is so far limited to the Global Strike Command, which includes more than 33,700 Airmen and civilians. The rest of the Air Force and the other armed services have not announced any orders to avoid using the pistols. 'Our hearts are with the service members and families impacted by the recent reported event at the F.E. Warren Air Force Base,' Sig Sauer said Wednesday in a statement posted on Facebook. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations is in charge of the investigation. The command's statement says it collaborating with the Air Force Security Forces Center and Headquarters Air Force Security Forces 'to conduct a thorough review of the M18 and develop appropriate corrective measures.' Sig Sauer said it has offered to assist. The P320 was introduced in 2014. Sig Sauer offered a 'voluntary upgrade' in 2017 to reduce the weight of the trigger, among other features. Lawyers for people who have sued the gunmaker, many of them law enforcement officers, say the upgrade did not stop unintentional discharges. Earlier this year, Sig Sauer appealed a ban of the P320, M17 and M18 pistols by the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission, arguing that it appears to be based on inaccurate and incomplete information. The commission banned the weapons after a recruit said his P320 discharged while he was drawing it, even though his finger was not on the trigger. And just this month, Sig Sauer announced that the Michigan State Police is adopting the M18 as its primary sidearm. Several large multi-plaintiff cases have been filed since 2022 in New Hampshire's federal court, representing nearly 80 people who accuse Sig Sauer of negligence and defective product design and marketing. That's in addition to lawsuits filed in other states, including one in Pennsylvania last year alleging a wrongful death. They say the P320 design requires an external mechanical safety, a feature that is optional. The most recent New Hampshire case, representing 22 plaintiffs in 16 states, was filed in March. A judge heard arguments Monday on Sig Sauer's motions to dismiss the lawsuit or break it up and transfer it to districts where the plaintiffs live. There also was discussion of a 2-month-old law in New Hampshire, created in response to the lawsuits, that prohibits product liability claims against Sig Sauer and other gun makers based on the 'absence or presence' of the external safety and several other optional features. Claims can still be filed over manufacturing defects. The law hasn't yet been incorporated into the case.
