CHONGQING, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese police have detained a man who allegedly set off a hoax bomb scare at a major department because he was unable to pay his credit card bill after a shopping spree there.

    The man surnamed Zheng had run up a bill of 4,000 yuan (571 U.S. dollars) at the Chongqing Department Store, in the southwestern Chongqing Municipality, said city Public Security Bureau deputy director Wang Lijun on Saturday.

    Zheng's bank had been demanding payment of the debt, so, under pressure, he called the store, saying he had placed bombs on the ground and second floors, said Wang.

    The store reported the threat to the 110 emergency call center at 11:14 a.m. and evacuated the building.

    Police arrived three and a half minutes later and set up a cordon around the store in Jiefangbei, the city's commercial center.

    They swept the building three times, but found no explosive devices.

    With the help of telecommunication operators, the 110 call center traced the call on a phone belonging to Zheng, who was detained shortly after.

    Zheng admitted making the hoax call, but denied planting any bombs, said Wang.

    He allegedly told police he had carried out the hoax after his bank demanded he settle his credit card bill, which he had racked up at exclusively at the store.

    The store reopened for business later in the day.