Malawi Police probe grisly trade in human body parts

Malawi Police is investigating an illicit trade of human body parts after unknown people are said to be exhuming and extracting bones from dead bodies in Traditional Authorities Chowe and Kapoloma in Malawi’s eastern district of Machinga.

It is reported that people removed heels and knee cartilage from the bodies of diseased people, extracted bone tissue from these parts.

“So far, we have recorded three cases,” said Machinga Police spokesperson Andrew Mayawo.

According to one of Kapoloma one of the villagers, Hilda Njerenje, the bodies are being exhumed at night and dumped after extracting bones from them.

Police said “investigations are underway” to deal with the culprits.

It is believed that human bones are, among others, used to produce charms to make one rich, according to Mayawo.

Belief in witchcraft is common in Malawi.

Some witchdoctors say that using human body parts makes charms more powerful – for example to achieve success.

As a result, in some parts of Africa, there is a lucrative trade in human body parts.