Italy Busts Fake Antarctic Theocratic State Scheme
A nationwide fraud case in Italy saw twelve people detained while thirty others are under formal investigation. The scheme centered on the so-called Antarctic Theocratic State of San Giorgio, promising citizenship, tax relief, and various privileges in exchange for payments. In total, the operation misled nearly 700 individuals and collected substantial sums from people across the country.
The operation, dubbed non-existent island, began in April 2021 when the Catanzaro police in the Calabria region launched a crackdown. Investigators discovered that a property registration had been used as the diplomatic center of the fictitious state, signaling a coordinated effort to lend legitimacy to the ruse.
The criminal network promoted the idea that the nation possessed autonomous sovereignty and special privileges. Those responsible claimed they could confer citizenship according to a supposed interpretation of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty, demanding payments ranging from 200 to 1,000 euros for each applicant.
Within roughly a year, the group had defrauded about 700 victims across Italy, amassing around 400,000 euros. The police note highlights that the perpetrators even created a website for the state, published a faux Official State Gazette, and established multiple institutions within the pretend framework, including a Head of State, a Government, a Court of Justice, a Supreme Court, and Regional Committees.
The scheme offered a range of supposed benefits designed to entice people. Prospective citizens were promised access to research funding, a streamlined bureaucratic path for their enterprises, and the use of forged state documents to facilitate movement within Italy and abroad. Some claims extended to allowing foreign nationals to enter the country more easily and to exemptions related to vaccination requirements for COVID-19.
The most alluring offerings involved tax reductions and opportunities to acquire land in Antarctica, sometimes accompanied by forged noble titles. These features were presented as practical advantages for individuals seeking easier operations and perceived prestige within a constructed state system.
Among those detained under house arrest is Mario Farnesi, 72, a former high-ranking fiscal official characterized as the operational link across all branches of the Theocratic State. He is accused of drafting or authenticating forged documents used to obtain citizenship for applicants.