Man jailed over firearms discovery at ‘safe house’
AROCHDALE man has been jailed after a haul of firearms – including an assault rifle – were found hidden at a ‘safe house’ above a takeaway during a police raid.
Michael Davis, 54, was arrested after cops swooped on the flat above the premises on Victoria Avenue, Blackley, in September last year.
Hidden in a black holdall in a suitcase were seven firearms, 145 rounds of ammunition and class A drugs with a street value of more than £38,000.
All the guns were forensically tested and deemed to have been in working order. Two contained live rounds.
Manchester Crown Court heard the firearms were linked to a number of shootings in Greater Manchester – including an incident in Levenshulme in December 2015 in which a shot was fired at a house belonging to a doctor and his family.
In that incident, the gunman had targeted the wrong address.
Three brothers – Safeer Ali, 36, Khateer Ali, 35, and Qabeer Ali, 32 – have already been jailed for their part in the conspiracy.
Safeer Ali was jailed for nine years and six months for conspiracy to possess a firearm and ammunition.
Qabeer Ali and Khateer Ali admitted supplying drugs. Qabeer was sentenced to six years and Khateer to four-anda-half. Davis pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess prohibited firearms and ammunition and was sentenced to six years and six months.
Prosecuting, David Bentley told the court that Davis, of Shaw Road, Rochdale, started working as a delivery driver for Perfect Pizza before he moved into the flat above to help the other occupant pay rent in January 2017. Davis renovated the flat and the locks were changed. He had the keys to all the doors in the flat.
“On September 15, 2017, a search warrant was executed by the police,” Mr Bentley said.
“Following forced entry of the single bedroom, a search was undertaken and a large black suitcase was located in the far left corner of the room on the floor. Officers unzipped the suitcase and within it was a black sports type holdall.”
Inside the holdall were seven guns – including a
Czech Model 58P 7.62mm assault rifle, a Turkish Atak Arms Zoraki model 914 9mm self-loading pistol, a Smith and Wesson Model 64-2 .38 revolver and a Ruger Model SP01 .357 Magnum revolver.
Cops also found 145 rounds of assorted ammunition suitable for use in the firearms.
After being arrested and bailed, Davis fled to Spain, where he remained at large until he was hauled back to the UK on an international warrant. Prosecutors said the locked bedroom in the flat above Perfect Pizza was being used as a ‘safe house’ for firearms and ammunition, as well as for drugs.
Davis was the key holder for the flat and acted as a ‘warehouseman’.
“On September 7, 2017 there was significant contact between Davis and Safeer Ali regarding the movements of firearms,” Mr Bentley told the court.
“There was contact just before 8pm that day, when Safeer Ali made calls whilst he was travelling to Perfect Pizza in a taxi, and in the rear of the taxi was luggage, namely a suitcase containing all of the firearms.
“Just after 8pm, CCTV showed a Mercedes taxi arriving outside the building, Safeer Ali getting out and approaching Davis, they then went to the rear of the property where there is access to the flat above Perfect Pizza.
“Both men were together whilst the firearms were transferred into the flat.”
Davis has previous convictions for driving offences and for being concerned in the supply of cannabis and cocaine. He was jailed for four years for the latter. Ian McMeekin, defending, said the Ali brothers were ‘more criminally sophisticated than him’.