Police in Jintang county, Sichuan province, denied rumors posted online saying that local children had been kidnapped in order to have their organs removed, the Chengdu Commercial Daily reported on Thursday.

The police added that the person who spread the rumors has been punished, the paper said.

County police sources said that a resident surnamed Yuan posted notes online saying that some children in the county's Pingqiao township had been kidnapped to have their organs removed.

Investigations showed that Yuan made up the rumors and he was punished, police said.