Sarawak CID chief SAC Dev Kumar also advised social media users to stop posting defamatory comments against any individual, institution, race or religion.
His warnings came after an online post of a child supposedly kidnapped in Kuching was widely circulated.
“I was informed about the Facebook posting about baby snatching and baby selling. The Facebook user claimed he witnessed the incident that took place right before his eyes along Arang Road.
“He went on to describe the incident and advised readers to hire bodyguards. This post went viral and caused concern among parents,” he said in a statement.
Dev revealed that the Facebook user who posted the news was later identified and summoned to the Kota Sentosa police station to provide further details about the alleged incident.
“He told us that he did not actually witness the incident. He heard some commotion outside his house at Ramin Garden, Arang Road.
“He went out to ask his sister about it and she told him that it was probably an attempted kidnapping involving a neighbour’s kid.”
The Facebook user then updated his status on the social networking site even though he did not speak to the neighbour about the supposed kidnapping. His status later went viral.
Dev said subsequent investigations by the police revealed that what took place was a snatch theft.
Last Tuesday, about 10.30am, a 59-year-old lady was walking to a shop at Ramin Garden, Arang Road, when two suspects on a motorcycle snatched her necklace and fled.
The victim lodged a police report at the Kota Sentosa police station the same afternoon. There was no mention of any attempt to snatch the child who was with her.
Dev said the matter would not have been an issue if the Facebook user had reported the actual event that took place or warned readers to be wary of snatch thieves.
“Instead he exaggerated (the incident) and made a wild claim about baby snatching and possible baby selling.”
He said the Facebook user was let off with a warning and ordered to take down the post.
“Sarawak police have on many occasions warned social media users to be extra careful when posting or commenting on social media. In this particular case, the posting caused unnecessary fear among parents,” said Dev.