Gang which turned blank-firing guns into live firearms are jailed for 79 years
A gang who flooded the streets with guns they converted at a hidden weapons factory have been jailed for a total of 79 years.
Andrew Wheelhouse, 41, converted replica pistols into viable firearms and flogged them to other criminals on the black market.
He was arrested after police found 15 blank firearms, 40 blank cartridges and an adapted lathe and drill press at his Nottingham address in July 2021.
Detectives then uncovered a large-scale criminal plot involving more gang members.
Mitch Butterworth, 30, Amraiz Mahmood, 29, and Matthew Galloway, 29, were all caught moving weapons from an address to be sold on.
Brothers Reuben Thomas, 34, Tyrone Thomas, 29, and Umar Alam, 29, were responsible for storing, moving and and supplying the firearms.
Another man Darren James, 37, was stopped and arrested in April 2021.
A revolver-type antique firearm, component parts and other items of interest were found in the BMW he was driving.
Police stopped two Audis and found a case containing a gun, magazine, and rounds the following day.
The occupants – Alam, Mahmood, Butterworth, Galloway, and Tyrone Thomas – were all arrested.
Two converted short-barrelled guns, ammunition, another gun, a loaded magazine, and a silencer were then seized from another address.
The final two members, Leutrim Krasniqi, 28, and Ergys Zekaj, 25, who had received converted firearms were then arrested.
A jury returned their guilty verdicts following a seven-week trial at Nottingham Crown Court.
Detective Inspector Mark Adas said: ‘This gang had an entire production line going, from sourcing and converting these blank-firing guns into viable deadly weapons, to selling them on to those who intended to use them.
‘Rife with risk of harm throughout the process, it was imperative that we closed down the whole deadly operation.
‘Through our extensive investigation we were able to identify the manufacture, storage, onward movement and supply of these firearms and ammunition across Nottingham and into London.
‘This was clearly a resourceful and organised group whose criminal activities posed a serious threat, so I’m pleased our proactive work and detailed investigation has now resulted in significant prison sentences.
‘I hope these sentences and our thorough work in this case sends a very clear warning to other criminals about the potential consequences of acquiring and trafficking firearms and endangering the public.’
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