Hong Kong police arrest man over anthrax hoax at social welfare office
Suspect leaves paper on counter with ‘anthrax’, but police find no traces of substance following office evacuation
Hong Kong police have arrested a man who fled a social welfare office after telling staff he had left anthrax on the counter.
An argument erupted between a staff member and the man, 40, at the office of the Social Security Field Unit inside One Mong Kok Road Commercial Centre at about 1.10pm on Wednesday.
The man placed pieces of A4-sized paper on the counter and said they contained anthrax powder. He then fled the scene.
Staff evacuated the office and alerted police. Officers found no traces of the substance on the paper.
The suspect was arrested on Fa Yuen Street at about 6pm.
The case is being investigated as “criminal intimidation”. It is being handled by officers from the Mong Kok district investigation team.