Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, July 23: The Noida unit of the Uttar Pradesh Police’s Special Task Force (STF) has unearthed a fake “embassy” operating for the last eight years in a swanky two-storey rented building in Kavi Nagar area in Ghaziabad and arrested the man who ran the “consulate” claiming himself to be a “diplomat” of “West Arctica,” a self-proclaimed micronation founded by a former US Navy officer but not recognised by any state, a senior official said on Wednesday.
The accused, identified as Harsh Vardhan Jain, allegedly ran a job scam by promising people work abroad. He is also accused of being part of a money laundering racket through hawala and forging diplomatic documents. The police have recovered four cars with diplomatic number plates parked outside, a name plate that read, “Grand Duchy of West Arctica” and “H E HV Jain Honorary Consul,” ‘diplomatic passports’ of 12 micronations, documents with stamps of the External Affairs Ministry, rubber stamps of 34 nations, two fake press cards, two forged PAN cards, Rs 44.7 lakh in cash, foreign currency from multiple countries suggesting possible financial fraud or international links, 18 diplomatic number plates, and a luxury watch collection.
According to the STF’s Noida unit, preliminary investigations suggest that Jain was engaged in brokering deals by falsely promising job placements for companies and individuals in foreign countries. He is also suspected to be involved in running a hawala racket through shell companies, the agency said, adding the accused used morphed photos showing him with the prime minister, the president, and other dignitaries to mislead people.
Additional Director General of Police Amitabh Yash said the accused was running the bogus embassy from a rented house and projected himself as a consul or ambassador of non-existent countries such as West Arctica, Saborga, Poulvia, and Lodonia, and moved around in vehicles bearing fake diplomatic number plates.
Interrogation revealed that the accused had associations with controversial godman Chandraswami and international arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi in the past. In 2011, Jain was booked in a case related to the recovery of an illegal satellite phone.
According to officials, several documents related to shell companies were also found during the raid. An FIR has been lodged at Kavi Nagar police station, and further investigations are underway to trace the network and possible accomplices, the agency said.
Officials said to carry out his illegal activities, Jain had prepared the perfect cover. He ran the consulate from a rented property displaying the flags of India and West Arctica, a micronation in Antarctica not recognised by any sovereign state in the world. Outside this plush property were luxury cars, including an Audi and a Mercedes, with diplomatic number plates. Jain’s office had morphed photographs in which he is seen with Prime Ministers and Presidents.
According to investigators, Jain would use this front for networking and then lure people with jobs abroad. This fake embassy had been running since 2017, the probe reveals. Jain would organise charity events, including bhandaras (community feast), outside the ’embassy’ to keep up the show.
Back in 2011, a police case was registered against Jain after he was found to have a satellite phone. Investigators also found photos of Jain that suggest he was close to controversial “godman” Chandraswami and Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi.
Chandraswami, a self-proclaimed godman, had risen to influence in the 80s and 90s, so much so that he was considered the spiritual adviser of three Prime Ministers – PV Narasimha Rao, Chandra Shekhar and VP Singh. He came under the scanner for financial irregularities and was arrested in 1996. A raid at his ashram also uncovered dealings with Khashoggi. Chandraswami was also accused of funding the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Jain’s links with such figures point to the fake diplomat’s shady past.
Days before the UP STF busted the fake embassy, the official Instagram handle of West Arctica had shared photos of its “Consulate-General in New Delhi”. “Managed by Baron HV Jain, In addition to representing West Arctica’s interests in India, Baron Jain also distributes food to the local population 5 times per year, serving over 1,000 people in need,” the caption read, sharing photos of the building in Ghaziabad and a ‘bhandara’ organised by Jain.
Travis McHenry, a US Navy officer, founded the micronation ‘West Arctica’ in 2001 and appointed himself its Grand Duke. Located in Antarctica, West Arctica has an area of 6,20,000 square miles; McHenry used a loophole in the Antarctic Treaty System to appoint himself the ruler. While the treaty prohibits countries from laying claim to parts of Antarctica, it says nothing about private individuals. West Arctica claims it has 2,356 citizens — none of them live there. Based in southern California, the Grand Duchy of West Arctica functions as a non-profit that spreads awareness about climate change and Antarctica. It has its flag, currency and also issues titles that no government recognises.
West Arctica is not the only one. There are scores of micronations that claim sovereignty, but are not recognised by any State.
A micronation is an aspirant state, a wedge of unclaimed land or an abandoned structure, or even a disputed field of wheat (yes, that happened), that claims sovereignty and political independence, but lacks the force majeure to enforce that demand under international law. These are not the same as microstates – such as the Vatican City and Liechtenstein – which are recognised sovereign nations despite their small size.
There is the Republic of Le Saugeais, for example, a collection of 11 villages between France and Switzerland ‘born’ in 1947 after a joke between a hotel owner and a French official. Others may have been formed as a form of protest, however bizarre.
In Florida in 1982, the Mayor of the island city of Key West declared the Conch Republic and ‘seceded from the United States’ to highlight the lack of development of the region. Another example is Freetown Christania in Copenhagen, an ‘anarchist commune’ of around 1,000 people built – intentionally – over a former military base. The main street is called Pusher and, unsurprisingly, was famous for the open but illegal trade in cannabis, right until last year.
And then there are yet more. The Principality of Sealand is an offshore platform in the North Sea that was used by British military during World War II. Taken over by Paddy Roy Bates, a former soldier, Sealand is now, perhaps, the most famous micronation, and even has ‘visas’ for ‘tourists’ who want to visit.
There is the Republic of Minerva – an artificial island built over disputed coral reefs lying between the Pacific island nations of Fiji and Tonga. And there is Liberland – a seven square km parcel of forested and uninhabited land that is part of Serbia and Croatia’s border argument. The Royal Republic of Ladonia was created in 1986 because local authorities in southern Sweden’s Kullaberg said two sculptures were illegally built. Ladonia is now ruled by Her Majesty the Queen, Carolyn.
A micronation is not ‘real’. None has ever been accepted by an established nation. But that does not mean their creators/founders are not serious about their ‘countries’. For example, in 2000 Molossia founded and hosted the ‘Intermicronational Olympic Games’ that coincided with the Summer Olympics. The list of events included online games like chess and checkers (hosted unofficially on the Yahoo platform) and assorted track events.
Molossia President Kevin Baugh and his son Mark were the stars, winning gold medals in the 100 metre dash and frisbee throw, and silvers in ‘the tennis ball throw’, chess, and checkers. Last year the Jewish Bolshevist Republic of Schykille, in Pennsylvania in the US, hosted a world football tournament that featured 24 teams, including Sealand.