Provincial Police Commander Chief Superintendent Joseph Morehari said the hostage hoax spread like wildfire and shocked the nation. It even gave the peaceful province a very negative image overseas.
He said an international cruise ship had to be diverted, thus costing the local tourism industry a lot of money. He added that it is not known how much damage this hoax will have caused to the local economy in the immediate and long term.
“We are investigating how it happened and we will deal with those responsible for creating the hoax,” Chief Superintendent Morehari said.
