False knife attack report triggers major police response in Nenzing

Police, rescue crews and the Cobra special operations unit were sent to Nenzing early Thursday after a caller reported two people with stab wounds, but officers found no injured person or evidence of a crime, ORF Vorarlberg reported.

The major response was launched at about 4 a.m. after the caller claimed that the victims were lying at a location in Nenzing, in Vorarlberg’s Oberland region.

After an extensive search, emergency crews called off the operation. The state police directorate is investigating who made the call, a police spokeswoman told ORF Vorarlberg.

Deliberately making a false alarm to the police is punishable in Austria. Anyone who knowingly causes an unnecessary response can face a court-imposed fine or prison sentence, as well as being required to cover the actual operational costs.

Falsely reporting a criminal act can carry a prison sentence of up to six months or a fine of up to 360 daily rates. If the false report triggers a large, unnecessary operation, such as a major search, authorities can also pursue reimbursement of the costs under civil or administrative law.