CLAIM
A viral message about police planting drugs in a car, on the pretext of inspecting its trunk is a hoax. The message, which had gone viral on Facebook and WhatsApp, claims such incidents allegedly took place in Delhi and Mumbai.
The message, written is in first person, narrates how a policeman had asked a car driver to stop his vehicle, under the pretext of checking the car’s trunk. The policeman then, according to the message, dropped “two small zip-lock pouches with white crystals” inside the trunk.
The message further warns readers to not open their car trunk anywhere without personal supervision.
The message states, “Please don’t open your car trunk from inside, for anyone, even at Malls. Always get-off, take your car-keys in hand and open the trunk with keys and permit searching under your own supervision.”
VIRAL ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Many have shared it on Facebook in a bid to warn people.
While one message claims the incident took place in Mumbai’s Malad area, a similar picture doing the rounds on social media, falsely suggests that the Delhi Police have have issued an advisory, asking drivers not to open their trunks from inside the car.
TRUE OR FALSE?
BOOM looked for the message online, and found that the post started surfacing on various social media platforms a few weeks ago. The message is being circulated in Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines and was also published on a Philippines based news website The Daily Sentry which later deleted it. (Click here for the cached version)
Another Facebook page ‘Alert Wanted 305’ also posted it on 4 November stating, “Original post from sir Wayne: I saw this on one of the other car groups that I am in. Thought I’d share just incase bagong modus to” and then continued with the message. The post received more than three thousand shares and 300 comments.
The posts viral in India, Malaysia and Philippines have changed the name of the location where the alleged incident happened.
While the one in India claims it happened in Malad, Mumbai the Malaysian claims the location as “star gate towards old terminal.”
BOOM has also reached out to the Delhi police and Mumbai police for a comment but is yet to receive a reply. The story will be updated with their comments.
(Published in an arrangement with BoomLive)
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