A number of west Belfast homes were evacuated and streets closed following a report of a suspicious object in the front garden of a house.
Police said they attended Falcarragh Drive around 11.30pm on Sunday.
Houses were evacuated and streets closed while the object was examined.
It has since been declared an "elaborate hoax" and the object has been taken away for forensic testing.
Residents were allowed to return home at around 4am.
