‘Ambassador’ of Saborga and Lodonia: Who is Harshvardhan Jain, and how did he run a fake embassy in Ghaziabad for 7 years?

In a dramatic crackdown, the Noida unit of Uttar Pradesh’s Special Task Force (STF) has busted a fake “embassy” being run out of a residential neighborhood in Ghaziabad. The man at the center of the scam is Harshvardhan Jain, a self-styled “ambassador” who posed as a diplomat for fictional countries like West Arctica, Saborga, Poulvia, and Lodonia — duping people with fake promises of foreign jobs and international connections.

The Bust: How Authorities Caught Him

According to ADG (Law & Order) Amitabh Yash, Jain operated the sham diplomatic mission out of a rented house in Kavi Nagar, Ghaziabad, for several years. He used fake diplomatic license plates on his cars, claimed ambassadorial status, and presented forged credentials that included:

• 12 fake diplomatic passports
• Four vehicles with fraudulent diplomatic plates
• Fake documents stamped with the Ministry of External Affairs seal
• Two forged PAN cards
• 34 rubber stamps of fictitious nations and shell companies
• Two fake press IDs
• Rs 44.7 lakh in cash
• Foreign currency from multiple countries

Officials also recovered documents linked to numerous shell companies believed to be used for money laundering through hawala channels.

All about Harshvardhan Jain

Harshvardhan Jain is said to be the son of a Ghaziabad-based businessman with ancestral marble mines in Rajasthan. According to a report of India Today, he has an MBA degree from the London College of Applied Science and ITS College, Ghaziabad. Jain allegedly had ties with controversial godman Chandraswami and international arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi. This wasn’t, however, Jain’s first encounter with law enforcement. In 2011, he was arrested for possessing an illegal satellite phone. His background reveals a pattern of high-level deception and fraudulent activity:

The Fake Embassy Racket

For nearly seven years, Jain ran what he called the “West Arctic Embassy,” luring people in with promises of overseas employment, diplomatic perks, and high-level contacts. He regularly introduced himself as the Consul or Ambassador of non-existent micronations and even issued forged diplomatic documents to create an aura of legitimacy.

According to reports, Jain digitally edited photographs of himself with political leaders, including PM Narendra Modi and former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam to boost his credibility.

He would often be seen traveling in vehicles bearing fake diplomatic plates — further helping him pass off as a legitimate diplomat.

SSP STF Sushil Ghule revealed that Jain also used morphed images with well-known dignitaries and operated shell companies to facilitate hawala transactions. He had created an elaborate system to gain people’s trust and extract money under the guise of foreign job offers, business deals, and diplomatic benefits.

An FIR has been registered at the Kavi Nagar police station, and a deeper probe is underway to expose the full extent of Jain’s operations and possible accomplices. Authorities are also investigating the scope of his connections with other international entities.