A WODONGA man is facing almost 80 charges after allegedly making dozens of prank Triple-0 phone calls, including bomb hoaxes and firearm threats.
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Police raided a house on Wilson Street on Tuesday and seized several mobile phones and other items.
A 39-year-old Wodonga man is facing 78 charges relating to telecommunications offences.
Sergeant Branko Ivic said the man had allegedly started making the phone calls late last year with the most recent call about a month ago.
The calls had led to emergency services being called to areas as far as Wodonga, Seymour, Shepparton and in NSW, and diverted resources from real emergencies.
“It was taking resources away from people who really needed it and endangered lives,” Sergeant Ivic said.
“It was diverting CFA, ambulance and police resources from people who needed those resources.
“There were claims of firearms incident and bomb threats which all turned out to be hoax calls.
“The man arrested had numerous phones which will be presented as evidence.”
The serious nature of the emergency calls had led to a heightened police response, which Sergeant Ivic said had made non-events a potentially dangerous situation.
Officers and paramedics rushed to a home on January 29 after a call stating that a man had killed his partner with a shotgun and was on the run.
Police shut down the street as a precaution and entered a house where the incident was reported to have occurred, but determined it was a hoax.
Sergeant Ivic said the man had wanted to frustrate emergency services.
“It’s a timely reminder that Triple-0 is only for emergencies,” he said.
“If you call Triple-o and it’s a hoax, and there is no emergency, you will be prosecuted.”
The man will appear before court at a later date.
