Noida Police have arrested six men for allegedly running a fake office under the name of the “International Police & Crime Investigation Bureau” to impersonate government officials and extort money from the public.

According to officials, the group set up a bogus office in Noida’s Phase 3 area and posed as members of an international investigative agency. They used forged documents, fake ID cards, police-style badges, and emblems to appear legitimate. They also ran a website — www.intlpcrib.in — through which they collected “donations,” while displaying fake national and international certificates to bolster their image.

Police said the office was recently set up and was shut down before it could expand. During the raid, authorities recovered forged IDs, fake documents, bank passbooks, chequebooks, and other materials. Investigators noted similarities with a recent case in Ghaziabad, where a man was caught running a fake embassy.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Shakti Mohan Avasthy said the accused contacted people pretending to conduct verifications or inquiries. “They had counterfeit stamps, letterheads, and replicas of official government emblems,” he said.

All six men — identified as Vibhash, Aragya, Babul, Pintupal, Sampamdal, and Ashish — are residents of West Bengal.

A Similar Case: Fake Embassy in Ghaziabad

Just weeks earlier, Ghaziabad Police arrested 47-year-old Harshvardhan Jain for allegedly running a fake diplomatic mission out of a rented home in Kavi Nagar. Jain was reportedly posing as the ambassador of “Westarctica,” a self-declared micronation claiming territory in Antarctica — a state not recognized by any country or the United Nations.

Authorities recovered fake documents, foreign currency, and items suspected to be used in hawala transactions. Jain also claimed to represent other self-proclaimed micronations like the Principality of Seborga (Italy), Ladonia (Sweden), and a fictitious entity named Poulvia.

Police are investigating whether Jain used these fake credentials to mislead people and conduct illicit financial activities. Reports suggest he had been using such claims since at least 2012, when he was reportedly appointed as an “advisor” by Seborga, and later became an “honorary consul” for Westarctica in 2016.