Police officer arrested over sale of 30 AK-47 rifles in Tonj East

Authorities in Tonj East County in Warrap State have arrested a police officer suspected of selling 30 AK-47 rifles to civilians in exchange for cattle, a local official said on Tuesday.

Caretaker County Commissioner Machuei Bith told Radio Tamazuj that the suspect had been in detention since last week. He said authorities had recovered two of the rifles and were working to retrieve the remaining 28 from civilians who bought them.

“The man has been arrested in connection with the sale of 30 guns. Two rifles were recovered, and we are still collecting the remaining 28 guns from civilians who purchased them with cows,” Bith said.

Bith identified the suspect as Akuei Majok, 45, whom he said is a first lieutenant in the South Sudan National Police Service (SSNPS).

“The accused man is called Akuei Majok, 45, and according to our investigations, he is a first lieutenant in the South Sudan National Police Service,” Bith said.

The commissioner did not provide further details about the circumstances of the alleged sale.

The suspected police officer could not immediately be reached for comment.

Warrap State has experienced recurrent intercommunal violence. The proliferation of firearms among civilians has been identified as a major factor contributing to insecurity in the state.

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