Cairo: A young Saudi was arrested after he had filmed empty shelves inside a store and uploaded the footage online to spread false news, the Saudi news agency has reported, citing a police official.
The 19-year-old man "deliberately" filmed the shelves while they were being cleaned in the store in the Eastern Region and circulated the clip with a caption saying they were empty of goods with the aim of spreading false rumours about an alleged food shortage, the region's police spokesman Brig. Ziad Al Reqiti added.
The offender, a native of the province of Hafr Al Batin in eastern Saudi Arabia, was identified, according to the official.
"He was arrested and legal procedures taken against him," added the official.
The incident was the second such attempt reported in the kingdom in a few days.
Last week, Saudi police arrested a Yemeni man also in the Eastern Region on similar charges.
Saudi authorities have recently warned against spreading false rumours harming public order on social media as the country is seeking to stem the novel coronavirus.
Offenders face up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of 3 million riyals.
