GANGLAND GUNS DEAL IN GOLF CLUB CAR PARK
Two men snared as they tried to transport handguns and ammunition
AN UNDERCOVER police sting targeting organised crime caught two men dealing in a deadly haul of guns and ammunition in the car park of a golf club.
Mark Kirkby walked over to his co-accused Ku Wing Kwok’s silver Mondeo and opened the boot and put items inside which later turned out to be five handguns and 100 blank rounds with ball bearings inside them.
The High Court in Glasgow yesterday heard that Kirkby, who was in the passenger seat of a black Audi, was seen to enter the car park of Ardeer Golf Club in Stevenston, Ayrshire, at 2pm on September 1, 2020.
After the 37-year-old, who was wearing gloves, deposited the haul in Ku Wing Kwok’s vehicle, both cars drove off. Police later stopped 42-year-old Kwok on the A78 Irvine Road at 5.21pm and a search of the car revealed the five handguns and ammunition.
Prosecutor Owen Mullan told the court: “The five handguns were Turkish manufactured Retay selfloading blank firing replica pistols which had been modified. Each pistol was capable of discharging a 9mm blank cartridge. “All the blank cartridges found – 100 in total which each had a 7mm steel ball bearing in the mouth – were suitable for use with the handguns. “The ammunition recovered is capable of causing injury and death.” Kwok told police he had been offered £1000 to pick up items from the golf club and take them to the Greenock area where they would be picked up by someone else. Mr Mullan added: “He stated that although he knew the items that he would be uplifting were likely to be criminal, possibly controlled substances, he did not anticipate them being firearms and/or ammunition.” Kirkby was detained at his house in Stevenston, at 11.40pm. Police seized six mobile phones and £2970 in cash.
Kirkby admitted having five guns and ammunition in his possession at Ardeer Golf Club, without a firearms certificate. Kwok pled guilty to having the five weapons and a quantity of 9mm blank cartridges.
Neither man is the holder of a firearms certificate.
Prosecutors say the offences were aggravated by a connection to serious organised crime. Mr Mullan said: “The Crown does not have any information to support the view that either accused was to use the weapons, or that the weapons were to be used for a planned criminal purpose.”
Judge Lord Fairley deferred sentence on both accused, who are in custody, until April 29 at the High Court in Edinburgh.
Defence counsel Lorraine Glancy, for Kirkby, and Paul Nelson, for Kwok, will give their pleas in mitigation then.
The items being uplifted were probably criminal PROSECUTOR OWEN MULLAN