The police have advised the people not to be too enthusiastic in spreading any unverified information relating to crime cases in the social media, including Facebook.

Kota Kinabalu District Police chief ACP M. Chandra said the people should first obtain verification from the nearest police station.

He said this in a statement in response to claims spread on Facebook that a white coloured Proton Satria Neo vehicle was supposedly involved in a criminal case stealing a vehicle battery and climbing over a fence in Bandar Sierra, Manggatal, on Sunday.

Further investigation revealed that no police reports were lodged regarding the case occurring in the area at the time the information was spread, he said.

However, Chandra said the police had disseminated the information to all crime prevention elements in the district to trace the vehicle after such information was spread on Facebook.

He said on Tuesday the police detained and checked the vehicle which was found in Jalan Kolam, Luyang at about 6 pm and the outcome of the inspection revealed that the vehicle owners were a local man jointly with his wife and child.

He said, prior to this, the vehicle owner had bought the vehicle on Monday from a used vehicle sales agent in Penampang and realised it was spread on the Facebook on the same day of its purchase.

"Subsequently he lodged a police report at the Penampang police station to deny the crime was committed," he said.