Police in Mansa have arrested a 16-year-old mother, Silvia Lawrence of Chamalawa village, Chief Mabumba in Mansa District, for human trafficking and subsequently selling her one-month-old biological daughter to Abigail Chama, aged 25, a traditional healer of the same vicinity.

The 16-year-old mother was arrested together with her brother Mulenga Lawrence, aged 26, of the same village after police received a tip-off from concerned villagers that the two intended to sell the baby to a traditional healer.

In a statement, Wednesday, Zambia Police Spokesperson Esther Katongo said Lawrence had agreed to sell her baby for K1,500 and an Itel phone.

“Police in Mansa today 5th December, 2018, arrested three people for the offence of human trafficking. Those arrested are Silvia Lawrence, aged 16, of Chamalawa village, Chief Mabumba of Mansa District, her brother Mulenga Lawrence, aged 26, also of Chief Mabumba and Abigail Chama, aged 25, of the same village, who is also a traditional healer. This was after police received a report from a concerned member of the public that there were people planning to sell a baby in Namwandwe area of Chief Mabumba. When police rushed to the scene, they discovered that Silvia Lawrence had already sold her biological baby aged one month to Abigail Chama, a traditional healer with the help of her brother Mulenga Lawrence at K1,500 and had already been paid K1,100 and an ltel phone,” read the statement.

“The two suspects were apprehended in Namwandwe area as they were planning to go to Mupita village along Tuta Road where they came from, and initial investigations have revealed that the duo planned to deceive their relatives that the child died whilst in Mansa. The suspects are detained in police custody yet to appear in court.”