A man has been arrested on suspicion of a bomb hoax and possession of imitation firearms.

The arrest came after police received reports on January 27 alleging that the man, who is 31 years old, had made claims on an online game chatgroup that he would place a bomb at Admiralty Station on February 17 – the first day of Lunar New Year.

Officers, including from the emergency and counter terrorism response units, were then deployed as part of a pre-emptive measure to search through the train station. No suspicious items were found.

In a raid on the suspect's flat, the police seized three imitation firearms.

He is being held for investigations.

Chief inspector Hui Nok said on Saturday the force would do its best to combat crimes committed online as well.

"I would like to remind citizens the internet is not a place where the law is absent," she said.

"In Hong Kong, most regulations that are applicable to the real world also apply to the internet."

A bomb hoax, she stressed, is a serious crime and offenders are subject to a maximum of five years imprisonment upon conviction, while those who are guilty of possessing an imitation firearm can get jail time of up to three years.