Indian police this week arrested near New Delhi a man who for 10 years had been introducing himself as an ambassador of fictitious countries and had used it to deceive job seekers by promising them work abroad.

Harsh Vardhan Zain, aged 47, had rented a residence in Ghaziabad, a town located 30 km from New Delhi in Uttar Pradesh state, police said in a press release.

He claimed to be an ambassador of “West Arctica, Samborgha, Pulvia and Londonia”, non-existent states.

He was accused of driving around in vehicles bearing plastic diplomatic plates and posting edited photos on social media in which he appeared alongside senior Indian officials to boost his credibility.

“His main activities consisted of acting as a money broker to get jobs abroad on behalf of companies and individuals, as well as running a money transfer network through dummy companies,” police said after his arrest.

The fake ambassador is also charged with money laundering.

During searches at his home, police seized the sum of $53,500 (45,500 euros) in banknotes, as well as fake passports and documents bearing stamps of India’s foreign ministry.

“Western Arctic”, which he said he represented, is a US-based NGO whose work, he said, is “dedicated to the study and protection of the vast, beautiful and barren region” that lies in the western part of Antarctica.

In a press release, the police said Zain had been given the title of “honorary consul to India” by this organisation after he had made a “significant donation”.

“He was never appointed or allowed to assume ambassadorial duties,” the press release stressed.