A 16 year old, suspected of being the cause of the false terror alert in Paris that was caused on Saturday, was arrested on Monday and remanded in custody.
Saturday, calling the police gave warning of a possible hostage taking during a church of Les Halles in Paris. A huge police operation was then initiated, and in the surrounding area. The alert was eventually lifted.
Sunday, the investigation was focused on a hoax, and L’Observateur published Sunday night on its website an interview with two young people claiming the origin of the call was a false alarm. They explained that it acted to “seek the buzz” .
The Paris prosecutor opened an investigation for “imaginary crime reporting” and “spreading false information to pretend to dangerous destruction” .
Arrested in the Marne
The teenager was arrested in the Marne in early afternoon, said a source close to the investigation.
A second teen is still wanted by police.
The investigators of the criminal brigade of the Paris PJ favour the theory of a malicious act that would be the work of hackers.
Attack alert
It was a call to the police, at 3.39 pm. on Saturday, raising the alarm about a possible ongoing hostage crisis in the church of St. Leu, located in the Halles district of Paris, which triggered this vast police operation with the intervention of the Brigade de recherche et d’intervention (BIS), said the spokesman of the Interior Ministry on Saturday. The area had been cordoned off and residents evacuated or confined.
Via the smartphone application SAIP (warning and information system to the population), the authorities issued a message “church – warning attack” . In full threat of attacks, this vast operation of the security forces had created a major stir, especially on social networks, until the alert is lifted.
The state civil party
Bernard Cazeneuve called for an assessment of the financial damage related to this false alarm, saying that “there is no reason that taxpayers are liable to an unnecessary expenditure of public funds. “
The dissemination of false information “in order to believe that destruction, degradation or deterioration dangerous for people will be or has been committed” is punished by two years in prison and 30,000 euros fine by the french Penal Code.
