Fact Check: Old alert by Mangalore cops about thieves posing as blanket sellers linked to Delhi police

Hyderabad: A collage of what looks like mugshots of 26 men is circulating on social media claiming that the Delhi Police has recently issued a notice about an 'Iranian gang' from Bidar and Gulbarga in northern Karnataka posing as blanket sellers.

The posts urge people to share the information within their communities, warning that the gang surveys houses during the day under the pretence of selling blankets, then returns at night to rob them.

A Facebook user shared the collage and wrote, “These are Iranian people from Bidar and Gulbarga pretending to sell blankets, but they are all gangsters. Please take note. It is said that during the day, gang members approach people pretending to be blanket sellers, survey the house, and then rob the house. Therefore, everyone should share this with their respective beat groups… Delhi Police.” (Translated from Hindi) (Archive)

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the claim is misleading as the notice was issued in 2019 by the Mangalore police.

Upon conducting a reverse image search of the collage, we found it in news reports from July 29, 2019, stating that the Bajpe police in Mangalore had warned the public about a notorious ‘Irani gang’ posing as blanket sellers. This gang was reportedly active in Chikkamagaluru town and other parts of the district.

Close inspection of the viral collage and the one mentioned in the reports showed both contained the same 26 men, including the order in which they were displayed. The reports also do not claim that the men in the college are from Iran.

According to the news reports, the gang members would approach people during the day under the guise of selling blankets, survey their homes and later return to rob them.

We also came across a report by Vijay Karnataka published on July 30, 2019, stating that the Udupi SP clarified that no incidents involving Irani gangs had been reported in the area, and the warning was issued as a precautionary measure. The SP also urged the public to contact the police if they come across any suspicious stranger or seller near the house.

The same collage went viral in Telangana in 2019. However, the Hyderabad city police issued a tweet clarifying that it was fake news.

Hence, we conclude that the viral notice regarding an ‘Iranian gang’ was issued by the Mangalore police in 2019 and is not a recent advisory by the Delhi police.