Maputo, 22 Aug (AIM) – Mozambique’s National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) has detained four individuals in possession of human bones, on the outskirts of the northern Mozambican city of Nampula.
According to the SERNIC spokesperson in Nampula, Enina Tsinine, cited by Wednesday’s issue of the independent newsheet “Carta de Moçambique”, the authorities believe that the bones belonged to an albino adolescent who was kidnapped a few days ago in one of the communities in the Ribáuè district on her way home from church.
The albino is believed to have been subsequently murdered. Albino body parts are used in gruesome rituals which are supposed to confer power and wealth on the murderers.
Tsinine explained that, at the time of their arrest, the four individuals were planning to sell the bones at a price of 80,000 meticais each (about 1,200 dollars at the current exchange rate), hoping to make around 1.5 million meticais (23,400 dollars)”, she said.
“We had a case of a citizen with skin pigmentation problems who was kidnapped on her way home from church and has so far not been located. As part of the investigation, we had information that four individuals were selling human bones brought from Ribáuè district”, she said.
For their part, the detainees, in a brief contact with reporters, denied their involvement in the crime.
Tsinine said that the authorities are also investigating the desecration of the graves of albinos in Murrupula district.
“We will continue to carry out an investigation, since there is a fifth individual on the run”, she said.
SERNIC also presented to the press two individuals, one of whom was a former employee of the Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat (STAE), accused of selling voter cards to a group of criminals.
(AIM)
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