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UP STF arrests Ghaziabad man for running fake embassies of micronations
According to the officials of the Noida unit of the UP Special Task Force, Jain offered 'diplomatic' job placements and business opportunities abroad, while also allegedly running a hawala racket through shell companies. He used luxury vehicles with fake diplomatic number plates, morphed photographs of himself with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the President, and other politicians to deceive people, reported Times Now.
#WATCH | Noida unit of UP STF busted an illegal embassy running in Ghaziabad and arrested Harsh Vardhan Jain, who was running an illegal West Arctic Embassy by taking a rented house in Kavinagar calling himself Consul/Ambassador of countries like West Arctica, Saborga, Poulvia,… pic.twitter.com/BX6vaTLESJ
— ANI (@ANI) July 23, 2025
What are micronations?
Micronations are entities that claim to be independent sovereign states but are not officially recognised by any government or international organisation such as the United Nations. Unlike recognised sovereign states, micronations have no legal status under international law. Their 'citizens', 'passports', or 'diplomatic missions' hold no validity.
Some micronations include Seborga (Italy), Molossia (the United States), and West Arctica (claimed in Antarctica). None of them is officially recognised.
What did the police find?
ADG Law and Order, Ghaziabad, said that the following was recovered during the raid:
4 luxury cars with fake plates
12 diplomatic passports for the micronations
Forged Ministry of External Affairs documents,
2 forged PAN cards
34 seals of different countries and companies
2 forged press credentials
₹44.7 lakh in cash, foreign currency
18 additional diplomatic plates
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