Police in the Northern region of Malawi have arrested 27 people who are suspected to be perpetrators of violence heightened by rumors about blood suckers.

According to Northern Region Police spokesperson Superintendent Peter Kalaya, the 27 have been arrested following intelligence-driven police operations and rapid-response mechanisms which were established to deal with the vice.

“It has been noted with concern that in the past two weeks, some individuals have resorted to mob justice; blocking roads, attacking strangers and vandalizing property of some business people accusing them of either being blood suckers or harboring such people,” he said.

He warned against mob justice saying that everyone who will found in connection to the violence will be arrested and prosecuted accordingly.

Kalaya asked Malawians to report to their nearest police establishment of any person suspected of being a blood sucker for proper investigations to be done.

The suspects have been arrested from different areas in the region and  have been remanded in various prisons across the region as they wait to appear before the courts of law to answer to various charges depending on the roles they played.