Two teenagers claim responsibility for hoax terror attack in Paris saying they did it ‘for the thrill’

‘If people were afraid, that’s their problem,’ says alleged hoaxer

Hoaxers who make anonymous threats to trigger a response from police call it ‘swatting’ (AFP/Getty)

The Paris prosecutor’s office is investigating a hoax hostage alert in Paris after two teenagers said they were behind a counter-terror operation that turned out to be a false alarm.

The young men, aged 16 and 17, told French media they made a hoax call to police that sparked the major operation which saw hundreds of police officers deployed to central Paris, saying they “did it for the thrill”.

The pair reportedly said they phoned the police on 17 September and said there was a group of North Africans carrying weapons in Saint Leu Saint Gilles church, prompting police to take action.

On the day of the alert they boasted online that they were committing an act of so-called “swatting” – when hoaxers make anonymous threats to trigger a response from police and emergency intervention groups known as SWAT teams.

One of the alleged hoaxers wrote on Facebook: “I carried out the worst ‘SWATT,’ I deployed helicopters, the government, 50 police vehicles into action. I’ve broadcasted it on Persicope, I told BFMTV and 10 newspapers.”

The unnamed assailants later told French newspaper l'Observateur: “The original plan was to ‘swatter’ a mosque but after Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray we thought it would work better with a church.

“We did it for the thrill. If people were afraid, that’s their problem.”

The pair are also said to have shared audio tapes of their conversations with police with the newspaper, in which an officer can be heard telling them that they receive many fake calls and asking them to verify information around the positions of the hostages.

The 20-minute recording reportedly goes on to hear multiple police officers asking for clarification about the number of people in the church, the physical appearance of the kidnappers and their equipment.

The Paris prosecutor has opened an investigation for “crime of denunciation imaginary” and “spreading false information to pretend to do dangerous destruction”. If found guilty the teenagers could face two years imprisonment and a €30,000 (£25,692) fine.

In response to the hoax calls, French Interior Minister, Pierre-Henry Brandet, said: “In the context of threat of terrorism today, it is absurd to divert the security forces and rescue mission, at the risk of not having them available for true emergencies and endanger the lives of other people.”

The Paris prosecutor’s office has been contacted for comment.