By Bae Ji-sook Staff Reporter Rumors over duty free shopping by the 19 released hostages from Afghanistan, which infuriated netizens, have proven to be false. Some netizens on Sunday posted snap shots of the returnees holding plastic bags supposedly from duty free shops and shopping malls in Dubai on their arrival at Incheon International Airport, Sunday. An Internet writer claimed that one of them was wearing luxury brand sunglasses and said they had gone duty-free shopping in Dubai. The photographs and rumors immediately spread online and thousands of netizens accused the returnees of spending money while everyone in Korea was in a state of concern. However, the Korean embassy to Afghanistan said it was the embassy that gave them the bags to carry their belongings in last Saturday. The embassy spokesperson said the staff provided the released hostages with hooded sweaters and track suits and asked them to use the bags to carry the garments they had worn during their captivity. He said staff in Dubai must have provided the other bag from a shoe shop in Dubai. Also the sunglasses that one of the female returnees was wearing, were among the personal belongings she took to Afghanistan from Korea. A government official said that while the hostages were divided into groups, some were allowed to keep their belongings by the Taliban militants while others weren't, and the sunglasses owner was one of the lucky ones. He said, ``All the returnees hurried to the airport after having a brief lunch at a Korean restaurant in downtown Dubai and they had no time to buy anything at duty-free shops.'' bjs@koreatimes.co.kr