Police in Mzimba are keeping in custody Lusungu Sere (31) and Christopher Kumwenda (38) for conspiring to sell a four-year-old albino child at a price of K20 million.

The two are said to have conspired to force mother of the child and wife to Kumwenda, 25-year-old Maria Mtengo to sell her albino child to Sere. Kumwenda is the child’s step-father.

National police spokesperson Rhoda Manjolo confirmed the arrest in a statement made available to the press on Wednesday.

Manjolo said the mother gave birth to the albino child from her first marriage which ended before she later married Kumwenda.

“Whilst in the second marriage, the suspect has been forcing the wife to sell the step son to the first suspect at a price of K20 million then the woman reported the matter to police hence the arrest of the suspects,” she said.

She said police arrested the two after the mother lodged a complaint against them.

Sere hails from Mkoko Village while Kumwenda comes from Jamu village, both in the area of Traditional Authority Chindi in Mzimba.

The two have since been charged with conspiracy to commit a felony which is contrary to section 404 of the Penal Code.

Meanwhile, Manjolo has appealed to the general public to report anyone suspected of threatening lives of people living with albinism saying “they are human beings like all of us, let’s fight this crime together.”