The police have a debunked a spreading hoax according to which they have been attempting to press-gang young men. The hoax has been spread via an audio message on chat apps. "The author of the recording maintains that a police patrol stopped an eighteen-year-old who tried to flee from them because they wanted to recruit him," the police reported on Facebook, stressing that no mobilisation or conscription is taking place in the country.
The authorities are currently investigating the recording in order to determine whether disseminating it qualifies as a crime. Moreover, they have also become aware of further hoaxes concerning forced recruitment. The police noted in this regard that they expect conscription-related hoaxes to become more frequent in the near future.
