Footage of two alleged thieves in Indonesia wrapped in duct tape like mummies after an attempted theft went viral in late June.
The video shows two thieves seated side by side, their entire bodies wrapped tightly in brown tape.
The tape was even moulded into a circular loop on the head of one suspect, making him resemble Po, the red Teletubby.
However, the story turns out to be a hoax and was just made up for TikTok content.
Source: @abietz_malang on TikTok
The video circulated on social media along with the claim that residents had caught both men and punished them on suspicion of theft.
However, Indonesian media Kompas recently revealed that the report was false.
According to the outlet, the video was traced back to TikTok user @abietz_malang, who posted it on 23 June.
The original footage contained no evidence suggesting the individuals bound in duct tape were thieves.
To further fact-check, Kompas also sought clarification from Muhammad Syahroni, one of the men featured in the video.
In an Instagram post, Syahroni slammed the misleading reports, writing: “Why are you calling our content creator @batretv_real01 a thief? If you want to go viral, create something, bro, don’t spread fake news.”
Source: @syahronimuhammad_ on Instagram
Syahroni told Kompas that the video was made for a TikTok challenge.
He expressed deep regret that an Instagram account had hijacked their clip to push a fabricated narrative.
“I’m a content creator for Batre TV, a YouTuber in Malang, not a thief,” Syahroni explained.
“They took it without permission, which would have been fine, but the important thing is not to alter it with strange narratives,” he added.
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Featured image adapted from @abietz_malang on TikTok.