Malawi police treating Asian disappearance as kidnapping: Criminal gang took Atul Manek in Lilongwe

Malawi police says it is treating the disappearance of Asian national, Atul Maneck, as kidnapping after criminal gang reportedly took him at the entrance of his house in  Area 9 of the capital city Lilongwe.

Police are appealing for information leading to an arrest in the Asian disappearance and his  location.

Abduction of Asians is not common in Malawi, one of the world’s poorest and most aid-dependent countries,  but the country has experienced a spike in violent attacks on people with albinism over the past four years.

In many cases those with albinism are targeted for their body parts to be used in witchcraft.

The genetic hereditary disorder causes a partial or total absence of pigmentation in the skin, hair and eyes — as a result albinos often experience eye problems and have a heightened risk of skin cancer.

In a June 28 report, rights group Amnesty International said that since November 2014 there have been 148 crimes reported against people with albinism that have claimed at least 21 lives.

Just 30 percent of those attacks have been properly investigated, according to official statistics, with only one murder and one attempted murder case successfully prosecuted.