Indian police have arrested a man accused of running a fake ambassadorate from a rented house near New Delhi and defrauding job seekers with job offers abroad.
Harsh Vardhan Jain, 47, is running a " West Arctica illegal Embassy by renting a house" in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, near the Indian capital.
According to the police, Jain claimed to be the ambassador of fictional countries "such as West Arctica, Saborga, Poulvia, Lodonia".
The man was also accused of using a fake diplomatic license plate and sharing fake photos with Indian leaders to commit fraud.
"The man's main activities include brokerage to secure jobs abroad for companies and individuals, as well as operating a hawala (money transfer) ring through covering companies," Indian police said in a statement announcing Harsh Vardhan Jain's arrest earlier this week.
Harsh Vardhan Jain has also been accused of money laundering.
During a raid on Harsh Vardhan Jain's house, the police seized $53,500 in cash, along with a fake passport and fake documents bearing the seal of the Indian Foreign Ministry.
West Arctica, coined with one of the fictional countries that Harsh Vardhan Jain claims to represent, is a US-registered nonprofit "specializing in research and conservation of a vast, majestic and deserted area" in the western South pole.
In a statement, the organization said it had appointed Harsh Vardhan Jain as a "Delegation Medal in India" after he "contributed generously". "He has never been given the position or authority of an ambassador," the statement stressed.
