Man, 20, arrested over Instagram bomb hoax and Disneyland gun comments

A 20-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of making a bomb hoax after police received a report last Thursday about a threat posted online.

The man, a Hong Kong resident, was arrested on Friday in Kowloon City district, police said in a Saturday statement.

Social media apps on a smartphone. Photo: Tracy Le Blanc/Pexels.

Citing sources, local media – including Sing Tao Daily and Ming Pao – reported that the man was suspected of leaving a comment under an Instagram post about planting a bomb somewhere in the city.

He was also suspected of leaving another comment on Instagram asking whether people could bring an automatic rifle into Disneyland, Sing Tao Daily reported.

The police did not find any gunpowder, explosives, or political material at the arrestee’s residence, Ming Pao reported citing sources. The police also stepped up patrols at Hong Kong Disneyland, though nothing suspicious was reported.

Hong Kong Police Force. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

The online comments had been deleted as of Sunday evening.

“Police remind the public that under Section 28 of the Public Order Ordinance, anyone who makes a false report of a bomb is liable to a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment upon conviction,” the police statement read.

The case is being investigated by Crime Investigation Team 3 of Lantau District.

As of Sunday evening, the man was still being detained for further investigation.