A police officer in his 20s in Japan was caught making a false bomb threat against a restaurant in an attempt to avoid his own farewell party, sparking controversy. The incident has shocked Japanese society, particularly because an active-duty police officer personally staged the fake terror scare.
According to local media outlets including the Yomiuri Shimbun, Saga Prefectural Police said that A, a senior patrolman in his 20s belonging to the prefectural police, left a note near the entrance of a restaurant in Saga City in March stating that "a bomb has been installed." He then called the restaurant directly and told staff to "check the entrance," investigators said.
The restaurant owner who discovered the note reported it to police, and a search was conducted, but no actual explosives were found. The investigation revealed that the threat was entirely a hoax fabricated by A.
At the time, A had already announced his intention to resign from the police force, and a farewell party for him was scheduled at the restaurant. During questioning, he reportedly stated, "I did something foolish because I didn't want to attend the farewell party," adding that it was "a thoughtless choice."
Saga Prefectural Police issued A a reprimand in April, processed his resignation, and referred him to prosecutors on charges of forcible obstruction of business and intimidation. While a reprimand is the lowest level of disciplinary action in the Japanese police system, some within the force have criticized the act as "behavior that undermines public trust in law enforcement."
On local social media, reactions have included comments such as "Why escalate it like this when he could have just said he was sick?" and "Wasn't there also a problem with the workplace culture?"
In Korea Too… "Presentation Not Ready" — Hotel Bomb Threat Made Using AI Voice
A similar false bomb threat case also occurred in Korea. On the 11th, the 2nd Criminal Division of the Gwangju District Court (presiding Judge Kim Jong-seok) upheld the one-year prison sentence handed down in the first trial against a man in his 30s, identified as A, who was indicted on charges of obstruction of public duty by deception and obstruction of business.
A is accused of using an AI-altered voice on February 17 last year, at around 12:58 p.m., to make a false report claiming that "explosives have been installed at the hotel," on the day a seminar was scheduled to be held at a hotel in Damyang, South Jeolla Province. Immediately after the report, around 130 personnel from police, fire, and government agencies were deployed and conducted a search for several hours, but no explosives were found.
The investigation found that A was scheduled to participate as a presenter at the event but committed the crime to postpone the seminar itself because he was not sufficiently prepared. As a result, the hotel reportedly suffered damages amounting to several million won, including group reservation cancellations.
False bomb threats are increasingly being treated as serious crimes rather than mere pranks. A single false report mobilizes large numbers of police and fire personnel, driving up social costs. In particular, with AI voice modulation technology now being used in such crimes, the burden on investigative agencies continues to grow.
