Saitama Prefectural Police said Thursday they have arrested a 24-year-old man for calling an ambulance and making a false statement indicating he might be infected with the Ebola virus.
Haruki Shimizu of Moroyama, Saitama Prefecture, is charged for fraudulent obstruction of business, as the phone call prompted six officials of the Sakado health care center to don protective clothing and rush to the district where he claimed he lives, according to Saitama prefectural officials.
Shimizu allegedly made the phone call on Tuesday afternoon, saying he returned from abroad the day before and has a fever of 38 degrees, adding that he "may have been to Liberia," police officials said. He reportedly denied making the call, saying it was his acquaintance who called.
According to the Nishiiruma Police Station, the health center officials looked for the address the man provided to the ambulance and fire department but the address did not exist, so they reported to the police. The Saitama Prefectural Government and a local hospital were in panic mode until late Tuesday, calling their staff to come to office, the officials said.