New Forest man arrested in National Crime Agency 'gun-running' operation

A RINGWOOD man was arrested and two guns seized in an operation by the National Crime Agency.

The suspect, who lived in the town and was in his 40s, was detained on suspicion of importing firearms.

The confiscated weapons were blank starting pistols (pictured) which are illegal in the UK as they can be readily converted to fire live ammunition, and are used by organised crime gangs.

They were seized in Birmingham last Wednesday in a joint effort between the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Border Agency. The package also included blank ammunition.

Despite being illegal to possess in the UK, the NCA said they are freely available in countries across Europe and can be obtained cheaply.

Andrea Wilson, NCA head of south-east investigations, said: “The availability of these firearms poses a significant risk to the public.

“The NCA working with Border Force and other law enforcement partners is determined to counter that threat to the UK. Thanks to this seizure two more illegal firearms have been removed from circulation.

“Blank firers of this kind are illegal. If you are caught with one you face a very significant punishment.

“Handguns are the most commonly used firearm in the UK.

“They are strongly linked to drug supply and are used by organised crime groups in the execution of their crimes, so seizures like this are a big part of our work to reduce serious violence and protect the public.

“Gun crime in the UK is one of the lowest in the world and our strong legislation means it is harder for criminals to access illegal weapons here.”

The Ringwood suspect, who was arrested on Saturday, was later released under investigation.