Two French tourists have been arrested for falsely claiming they were robbed in Motueka.
Police said the men, both aged 20, reported being robbed about 4pm today.
A large number of officers became involved in the investigation, including police dog handlers and officers from Motueka and Nelson.
However, once police had examined the scene and interviewed the pair, it became clear there had been no robbery.
Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Johnston said the men then admitted they had made up the story. They were arrested and charged with making a false statement to police.