Fact Check: Viral post claiming 500 armed men have entered Nepal from India is false
साउन १२, २०८२ १७:४१
Kathmandu (Hikmat Acharya, TechPana Fact Check): A post has been going viral on social media since Friday, July 25, 2025. The post claims that a gang of 500 armed men who steal children and smuggle kidneys has entered Nepal. It also urges the public to remain vigilant, citing various news media. However, a fact-check by TechPana Fact Check has confirmed that the claim is false.
Claim
On Friday, July 25, 2025, at 9:35 am, a user named Dhan Bahadur Jagrai published a post on Facebook. The post claims that a gang of 500 people has entered Nepal with weapons. “Information! Information! Information! According to recent media reports, a large number of child abductors and kidney smugglers have entered Nepal from India through the Nepal-India border. Please be careful of any suspicious people entering your home: Scrap dealer, street vendor etc., who may have entered your village under various pretexts. It is said that a group of 500 of them are roaming around with weapons. Do not let any children go out of the house at night. If you have a dog at home, leave it open. Take special care of your children. Thank you.”
As of the time of writing, the post had received more than 12,000 reactions, 580 comments, and over 4,400 shares. See the original post, archived post, and screenshot.
Investigation
The post has been widely shared on social media since Friday, according to an investigation by TechPana Fact Check Desk. The desk searched Facebook using the phrase “as per recent media reports, a large number from India.” In the process, hundreds of users were found to have copied and pasted the same text. Various Facebook pages and individual accounts were also seen spreading it.
The same post was published by a Facebook page named ‘Routine of Baglung Bandh’ on July 25, 2025, at 9:25 pm. As of the time of writing, it had received 550 reactions, 25 comments, and 289 shares. See the original post, archived post, and screenshot.
A user named Bijay Rajbanshi has also copy-pasted the same post. His post shows 102 reactions, 8 comments, and 91 shares. See the original post, archived post, and screenshot.
A Facebook user named Ram Prasad Baskota also copied and posted the same content on his timeline. He has identified himself as the principal of Shree Panchakanya Aadharbhoot Vidyalaya. His post received 103 reactions, 26 comments, and 31 shares. See the original post, archived post, and screenshot.
The same post was also published by a verified Facebook page named Shri Ram Ram. Interestingly, the post also included black-and-white photos of four people. See the original post, archived post, and screenshot.
The same content was also posted by the Facebook page of Mallek Rural Municipality in Achham. That post received more than 370 reactions, 20 comments, and over 150 shares. See the original post, archived post, and screenshot.
This post has also been widely shared in Facebook groups. However, no similar content was found on TikTok or X.
A reverse image search on Google of the photo from the account ‘Shri Ram Ram’ revealed that the image of four individuals was originally published in the article “Al-Qaeda terror module busted: Gujarat ATS arrests four suspected terrorists,” published by Wion News on July 23, 2025. The same photo and news have also been published by other Indian media. According to them, the image shows four Al-Qaeda terrorists arrested by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS). The photo appears to have been misused in the viral post to falsely claim they are smugglers who entered Nepal from India.
To verify the claim that “a large group of armed smugglers has entered Nepal from India,” the desk searched Google using keywords like “Nepal-India border child theft kidney smuggling,” “unknown person from India enters village in Nepal,” and “500 people with weapons kidney smuggling in Nepal.” No such news reports were found in any media. Even after testing individual keywords, no news matched the viral claim.
TechPana also contacted Nepal Police spokesperson Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Binod Ghimire. DIG Ghimire said that while he had seen the viral Facebook post, the claim had not been confirmed by any source. “It is being said that 500 armed smugglers from India have entered Nepal and are stealing children,” DIG Ghimire said. “I have not received any such information. I have informed the CIB and Cyber Bureau about this.”
Armed Police Force Central Spokesperson, Deputy Inspector General Kalidas Dhauwaji, also said that he had not received any information about such an incident.
Human Trafficking Investigation Bureau Spokesperson, Superintendent of Police Narendra Kunwar, also said that no complaints related to such cases had been received recently. “From time to time, such posts go viral to spread fear in society,” SP Kunwar said. “We are also investigating this matter.”
These facts confirm that the claim about a large number of armed human traffickers entering Nepal from India is false. However, some of the safety tips shared in the post can still be considered. It is risky to leave children alone at night, and being cautious around strangers is generally wise. But such posts have also led to incidents of violence against new faces in Terai villages. All of these aspects must be taken into consideration.
Claim
A 500-member armed gang of child abductors and kidney smugglers from India has entered Nepal. The gang is roaming around villages under various disguises such as hawkers, peddlers, or drug sellers.
Claimants
Facebook pages and accounts under the names ‘Dhan Bahadur Jagrai’, ‘Routine of Baglung Band’, ‘Bijay Rajbanshi’, ‘Ram Prasad Baskota’, ‘Shri Ram Ram’, and hundreds of other users.
Fact
The photo of four people used in the viral post shows Al-Qaeda terrorists arrested in Gujarat, India not smugglers who entered Nepal. The post claims the information came from media reports, but no credible outlet in Nepal or India has reported anything similar. Nepal Police has confirmed that no official information supports the claim, and that it is likely a rumor. The Armed Police Force and Human Trafficking Investigation Bureau have also stated that they have no information on such incidents.
Conclusion
The claim that “a 500-member gang of armed smugglers from India has entered Nepal” is false. The viral post is not based on official sources or factual evidence and appears intended to spread fear and confusion.
पछिल्लो अध्यावधिक: साउन १२, २०८२ १७:४१
