The Korea Herald

피터빈트

Police file compensation suit against prank caller

By Lee Woo-young

Published : April 20, 2012 - 20:11

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The Anyang police will file a civil suit against a prank caller who made a false report that he was kidnapped.

If filed, it will be the first suit against a prank caller by the police.

Police will seek compensation for expenditures made to find the man, who made the false report that he was locked in a car trunk, officials said Thursday.

The 21-year-old caller, identified by his surname Kim, called the police in the city in Gyeonggi Province on Wednesday.

About 50 police officers were mobilized for two hours to find him. They later checked a close circuit camera near the phone booth from which Kim made the call and confirmed he was not kidnapped. They arrested him afterwards.

“We are going to file a suit for about 500,000 won ($438) in damages incurred from police mobilization. They had to work extra hours trying to find him and also spent gas and transportation expenses,” said a police official. They said they are issuing an arrest warrant as well.

Kim told police that he tried to get even with police for being fined for theft last November, reports said.

By Lee Woo-young (wylee@heraldcorp.com)