A stag party in northern Italy ended with nine men being charged with “causing public alarm” after they pretended to be terrorists to stage a prank kidnapping of the groom.
Armed with pellet guns and wearing balaclavas and black helmets, the men, aged between 23 and 31, turned up at their friend’s home in Trofarello, a small town on the outskirts of Turin, gagged him and loaded him into the back of a van before speeding off.
But the stunt on Saturday did not quite go according to plan. The men were reportedly pretending to be Isis terrorists and police immediately descended on the town after being inundated with calls from worried neighbours.
An elderly man, watching the scene from his window, fainted.
Police checkpoints were set up across the area as a hunt was launched to find the “kidnappers” and their captive.
The van was found outside the home of one of the men. The groom, still inside, was unaware that it was all a joke, Torino Today reported.
Police seized the fake weapons, helmets, balaclavas and clothing emblazoned with references to Isis, while charging the men for triggering a panic.
