Kuala Lumpur - Malaysian police have arrested four men who were caught stealing earth from a freshly dug grave, which they said was needed to counter an evil spell, news reports said on Wednesday.

The men were detained on Sunday at almost midnight by villagers in Kampung Pantai Senok in Kelantan state, while they were busy scooping the earth into a white cloth.

Police said one of the men, an 18-year-old youth who was also from the same village, had sought the help of the others to collect earth from a grave to be used to treat his sick mother-in-law.

He was ordered to do so by a local witchdoctor, who claimed the mother-in-law was a victim of black magic.

The witchdoctor had advised him to obtain the soil of a grave from a person who had died suddenly.

The New Straits Times daily newspaper said the four men were being detained by police pending charges.

Most Malaysians still cling to cultural superstitions and believe in the supernatural. Soil from newly dug graves are said to be very potent to cast spells in black magic.

• Story originally published by:
Sapa - Sept 05.01

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