Police say an Albino toddler was kidnapped in northern Tanzania in speculation that the child's body parts will be used for witchcraft, according to AFP.

"Two bandits armed with machetes stormed into their kitchen, they hit his mother with machetes and took away the baby," regional police chief Joseph Konyo said about the two unknown suspects who snatched the baby from its mother's arms on Saturday.

The child's father is being questioned who was nearby when two attackers slashed the mother with machetes before taking the 1-year-old baby.

Police also asked the public to cooperate in investigating the kidnapping.

About 74 albinos have been killed in Tanzania in the past 15 years. The country is known to use albino body parts as part of witchcraft.

BBC News website reported albinos are "killed like animals" because potions made from their body parts are believed to bring good luck and wealth.

An albino woman was hacked to death back in May.

Alfred Kapole, chairman of the regional Tanzania Albinism Society, was one of the first people to bring his case to the courts after a village leader tried to kill him for his hair.

"A family of a young girl with albinism had to flee their home twice, in 2011 and 2012, when unidentified men attacked them, saying that they were sent by the father of the home, a fisherman, to get the girl's hair," said Vicky Ntetema, head of Under the Sun.

Albino body parts sell for $600 in Tanzania, and a full corpse can cost up to $75,000.

Albinism is a hereditary genetic condition, which causes a total absence of pigmentation in the skin, eyes and hair.

A 4-year-old girl was kidnapped in northern Tanzania back in December and was never found although multiple arrests were made.

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