Fabricated weapon threat in Graz: couple report themselves after major police operation
A Graz couple invented a threat from an armed man – and triggered a major police operation involving 53 officers. They now face criminal proceedings.
Graz major operation based on fabricated report – couple reported to prosecutors
A police operation involving 53 officers and 26 vehicles on the Conrad-von-Hötzendorfstraße in Graz on 17 September 2026 was based on a completely fabricated story. This is reported by the Kleine Zeitung. A couple had reported being threatened by an armed man in their flat – but the report did not correspond to the truth at any point.
The operation began shortly after 4 p.m. and drew in, alongside regular officers, the Einsatzkommando Cobra, the Schnelle Interventionsgruppe (SIG), the Verhandlungsgruppe Süd as well as a canine unit to the scene. The Conrad-von-Hötzendorf-Straße was closed to traffic for approximately 800 metres during the afternoon rush.
Detailed investigations and an evaluation of the operation log uncovered several contradictions in the statements made by the flat's residents. After several interviews, the couple ultimately confessed to having invented the incident. The allegedly threatening man was not even supposed to have been in the flat at the time in question. Both persons were under the influence of narcotics when they made the emergency call.
The Graz public prosecutor's office was brought in due to suspicion of criminal defamation. An additional report was filed for breach of the peace. It is also being examined whether the costs of the operation – whose amount has not yet been specified – can be billed to the couple.
As a further consequence, the veterinary office ordered the provisional removal of the couple's dog.
Source: Kleine Zeitung