Gun dealer had weapons delivered to his neighbours

An arms dealer had handguns and ammunition delivered to his neighbours telling them he did not want his mother to know ‘how much he was spending on clothes and shoes.’

Tyrelle Mack, 27, was caught after the Border Force intercepted two packages from Slovakia and one from the Czech Republic, containing four weapons.

The recipient explained that the parcels were actually for Mack when NCA investigators went to the house in Luton they had been sent to.

Mack had received nine other suspect packages, containing eight guns and three lots of ammunition, from Ostrava in the Czech Republic.

His customer requests were to ‘wrap [the contents] up nice please make sure it doesn’t fling around inside the box’ and a plea to not include ‘stickers on the box nothing suggesting where I ordered from’.

Three other recipients of firearms were interviewed and gave the same story – that they had been asked to take in parcels on behalf of another individual. Two of the three named that individual as Mack.

NCA officers later discovered that Mack had spoken to Ishtiaq Shah, 27, a friend since childhood, before and after parcel deliveries.

Shah assisted him by collecting and storing the weapons.

Shah, of Vestry Close, Luton, was arrested at his home and a loaded revolver was seized.

Mack and Shah admitted conspiracy to sell or transfer prohibited weapons and conspiracy to contravene section 170 of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979.

Mack was jailed for 13 years but given six years consecutive for a firearm offence investigated by the Metropolitan Police making a total of 19 years.

Shah was handed an 18 month suspended jail sentence.

Both Mack and Shah are subject to Serious Crime Prevention Orders, which support the lifetime management of serious criminals and prevent future offending.

Chris Hill, Branch Commander at the National Crime Agency, said:

‘Mack and Shah were behind the importation of deadly weapons, which had the potential to inflict serious violence on the streets of the UK, putting members of the public in danger.

‘Mack’s ploy also put his neighbours at risk, directly involving them in serious criminality and pointing the finger of suspicion at them.

‘Illegal firearms have no place in this country, and the NCA, alongside our partners in policing and Border Force, are committed to combatting their supply, ensuring that the public are kept safe from harm.’