A Hounslow man has been jailed for 18 years for his part in a conspiracy to sell lethal firearms after police raids recovered TWELVE guns waiting to be sold.

Mindaugas Vasuaskas, 26, of Brookwood Road, was one of four men sentenced to a combined total of 62 years in jail after they were convicted of a conspiracy to transfer 12 guns.

The men were arrested after officers from Met Police's Trident and Area Crime Command executed a warrant at an address in Ferrier Point, Canning Town, on May 21 last year.

Police found 11 Makarov-type self-loading pistols with silencers, and a Russian AKS-74U assault rifle, as well as 107 handgun cartridges and 30 rifle cartridges.

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Detective Inspector Danny Young said: "As a result of the proactive work of Trident officers, 12 firearms have been taken off the streets of London.

"We will relentlessly pursue anyone involved in the buying and selling of these deadly weapons and ensure they are brought to justice.

"The lengthy custodial sentences handed to the defendants should act as a warning to anyone involved in the trade of firearms."

From L-R: James Radford, Ahmed Mudhir, Ahmed Adam and Mindaugas Vasuaskas

Also sentenced were:

  • Ahmed Mudhir, 33, of Star Lane, Canning Town - 22 years' imprisonment
  • Ahmed Adam, 23, of Warwall, Beckton - 12 years' imprisonment
  • James Radford, 29, of Albert Walk, North Woolwich - 10 years' imprisonment.

Analysis of telephone communication between the defendants revealed Mudhir was acting as the broker to sell the firearms and ammunition.

Vasauskas, Adam and Radford were also identified as being involved in the prospective sale of the guns.

Cops also found pistols with silencers

Three of the men were found guilty after a six-week trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court, which concluded on April 6. Mudhir pleaded guilty at the start of the trial.

The four were convicted of a charge of conspiracy to sell/transfer prohibited weapons and a charge of conspiracy to acquire ammunition. They were sentenced on Friday (May 12).

Garth Tulloch, 23, of Hackney, Chavez Nixon-Boucher, 22, of Ilford, and Ahmed Aboker, 36, of Canning Town, were all found not guilty of conspiracy to transfer 12 guns.

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