South Sudan seizes vehicles allegedly stolen from Sudan

JUBA – South Sudanese authorities have seized more than 1,000 vehicles suspected of being imported illegally from neighboring Sudan, a police spokesperson said.

The influx of vehicles began after the outbreak of war in Sudan, according to police spokesman Major General Daniel Jastin. Border areas of Aweil, Abyei, Renk, and Raja witnessed a significant increase in vehicle entries.

Jastin emphasized the seriousness of cross-border car movement, particularly those suspected of being stolen. He highlighted the existing memorandum of understanding between South Sudan and Sudan, which outlines cooperation on issues like cross-border crime.

“Cross-border crimes, human trafficking, migrant smuggling and money laundering are some of the offences that the police agencies in East Africa cooperate on,” Jastin explained as quoted by Radio Tamazuj.

A recent meeting in Juba between South Sudanese and Sudanese traffic officers focused on the seized vehicles.

Jastin confirmed that Sudanese authorities possess electronic records of stolen vehicles and urged South Sudanese citizens to exercise caution when purchasing cars, particularly those lacking proper documentation.

Sudanese officials at the Juba embassy corroborated the theft of numerous vehicles in Sudan. The Consul General, Yahya Mohammed Osman, commended the South Sudanese police for their efforts in seizing over 1,000 cars.

“Several Sudanese nationals residing in Juba were surprised to encounter their stolen vehicles on the streets,” Osman said.

Earlier, the Sudanese Chargé d’Affaires, Jamal Malik, confirmed the seizure of 122 stolen cars in Renk and a significant number in Aweil. He also mentioned a South Sudanese directive prohibiting the registration of any car from Sudan without official authorization.