Hand grenades and Rocket Propelled Grenades collection - Photo Credit: Stock

Police in Wau, Western Bahr el Ghazal State, have arrested two motorcyclists accused of smuggling ammunition, grenades, and seven rocket-propelled grenades outside the town.

This is according to Major Santino Mayen Udol, the spokesperson for the Wau Police.

Major Udol says the suspects, a rider and his passenger, were intercepted during a routine police operation aimed at checking logbooks and driving licenses.

“Our dedicated traffic police personnel stationed at the Komboni hospital checkpoint in Jou Market, while they were doing their normal duty of stopping motorists to check logbooks and driving licenses, they found a motor rider and a passenger involved in the smuggling of 7 record propelled garnets or RPGs,” he explained.

He said the two were caught at around 8 o’clock in the evening on Tuesday while trying to sneak the weapons of outside Wau town.

According to Udol, the primary suspect has been identified as Marco Uriel Bak, a 32-year-old former member of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) who later defected to the SPLA-IO.

His accomplice, who was riding the motorcycle, was named as Marco Lual Ajang, a student.

“The primary suspect was identified as Marco Uriel Bak, a 32-year-old former member of the SFPDF defected to SPLA-IO. Their accompanying team was the motor rider, a student named Marco Lual Ajang. Authorities have identified Marco Bak as an operative affiliated with the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in opposition to SPLA IO,” he said.

Major Udol is now calling on the public in Wau and nearby areas to remain alert and report any suspicious movement or possession of illegal weapons.

He said both suspects are in custody and will be taken to court once investigations.