ODDOR MEANCHEY (Cambodia Herald) – Local residents say they have become alarmed in recent weeks about rumors of women being killed and gutted for their kidneys.

But Brigadier Men Ly, the Oddor Meanchey police commissioner, dismissed the rumors. Speaking Friday with the Cambodia Herald, an affiliate of Cambodia Express News (CEN), he said experts were investigating the case to find the source.

One theory is that thieves are spreading the rumors so they can steal things at night, since many people are now too afraid to sleep outside or under their houses.

Still, the rumors persist despite the absence of witnesses. Residents of Samrong district have been gossiping about the gutted bodies of two local women found with their kidneys removed and money left nearby.

Similar rumors have been heard in Ou Smach on the Thai border while residents of Banteay Ompil are expressing concern about their safety.