The National Criminal Investigation Service arrested four citizens in the city of Beira, accused of murder and caught trying to sell the human bones of an albino citizen for between 10 million and 15 million meticais.

The murder took place in mid-November 2023, in the district of Vanduzi, Manica province. One of the accused was a friend of the victim, who was lured with alcohol. After getting drunk, the five criminals pretended to take him to their home, but strangled him halfway there.

"Then we carried it to the cemetery and buried it," said one of the accused.

The victim's body was left to decompose for thirty days, when they returned to exhume it and extract the bones from the arms and legs.

The alleged mastermind and buyer is a Maputo resident who went to the city of Beira to meet the perpetrators of the crime. He denies being the mastermind of the crime, but acknowledges his involvement in the scheme to sell the bones.

"A man called Domingo called me to say he had albino bones. Then I called a young man from Beira called Elton, to find out if he had a client or not. My role in this situation was that of an intermediary, that's all. The price had not yet been set, because there had been talk of 15 million down to 10 million. I am aware that I am guilty. Just the fact that I acted as an intermediary makes me an accomplice," he acknowledged.

According to SERNIC in Beira, efforts are underway to neutralize other members of the gang, but also to identify the victim's relatives.

The accused will be sent to Manica, where they will be tried and sentenced.