Representative image of an arrest warrant.
Credit: iStock Photo
A Chinese man has been arrested and placed under police detention for creating a fake arrest warrant for himself out of boredom.
The man whose surname is Wang, on November 11 fabricated the warrant online, titling it as 'Wanted Order', along with a picture of himself.
According to a report by the South China Morning Post, in a social media post he claimed to be Wang Yibo, which is the name of a famous Chinese actor, dancer, singer.
The man wrote, "I am a native of Qinyuan county, Changzhi city, Shanxi province. I extorted 30 million yuan ($4 million) from a company on November 10, 2024. I possess a submachine gun and 500 bullets. If you find me, you will be rewarded 30,000 yuan ($4,000)."
Local county police, on November 12, noticed the odd social media post and upon investigation, the man was arrested within hours.
According to SCMP, the police carried out searches and discovered that the man did not possess any illegal guns and or any kind of ammunition.
The police asserted that he had not defrauded any company.
Wang confessed to creating the fake arrest warrant as he felt bored and low-spirited with his life.
Citing police reports, the publication reported that Wang's post garnered 3,50,000 views in less than 24 hours, received 2,500 likes and saw 1,155 shares.
A 'criminal coercive measure' has been imposed on Wang by the police for creating and spreading fake information.
In China, a criminal coercive measure means that a person's freedom is being restricted for a certain period of time by police proceedings.
According to SCMP, speaking about the case, police said, "The internet is not beyond the reach of the law. Fabricating a story and spreading it are both criminal acts. Anyone who concocts or circulates rumours will face judicial consequences."