Some of items in possession of suspected women who were arrested by the Police in Gumbo-Sherkat in Juba with hoodoos such as smoking pipes, calabashes, leopard skins, and a weaved basket with a dove in it - Credit: South Sudan Police

Police have arrested some women accused of witchcraft allegedly with black magic to smell houses with a lot of money in Juba, the Deputy Mayor has said.

The statement came after the police arrested five suspected notorious gangsters and sorcerers at the Gumbo Sherikat Residential area on Tuesday.

Some of the suspects were arrested while in possession of machetes and drugs such as opium, ice, and marijuana.

Foreign sorcerers were netted with hoodoos such as smoking pipes, calabashes, leopard skins, and a weaved basket with a dove in it.

Deputy Mayor, Thiik Thiik Mayardit who was at the crime scene one of the suspects confessed that some of the items displayed were made for him to smell which house had money.

“With evidence, you people have seen, this gentleman said that these things are made for him to smell which house has money and after going to that room he can sneak and take the money and go without being seen,” said Thiik.

“Look how the young people are doing these and it is because of the people who are just giving them misperception that there is something which you are going to use so that you  get rich which is very wrong.”

Meanwhile, the police spokesperson Major General Daniel Justin says police will continue with the same crackdown for the safety of the people.

“As you have seen the police managed to arrest all those things and bring them to book such that others are to know that these are illegal activities which are done to cheat our people but the police are out to fight it,” said Justin.

“I congratulate the team for their success in combating these types of crimes and we will continue doing the same for the sake of the safety of the people,”he said.