Chilling gun haul is found on motor cruiser
THIS is part of the astonishing haul of weapons recovered in the biggest ever gun seizure on mainland Britain.
The 22 automatic assault rifles and nine Skorpion machine pistols were smuggled into the country on a motor cruiser.
Police believe the guns, found with 1,000 rounds of ammunition and two silencers, were purchased in Eastern Europe. They were then brought across the Channel from France before being landed at Cuxton Marina, near Rochester in Kent.
The rifles are believed to be Czech-made Vz-58 weapons, which appear almost identical to the notorious AK-47. The discovery of the Czech-made machine pistols, which are capable of firing 850 rounds per minute, will particularly concern police. They recently issued an alert after discovering criminals attempting to buy the weapons for up to £3,000 each. The swoop followed the arrival of the MV Albernina, a cruiser which had been tracked as it travelled into UK waters on Tuesday. Armed officers from the National Crime Agency and Kent Police made a string of arrests in a dramatic operation. Investigators suspect the weapons would have been sold on to underworld figures.
Seven people have been charged with importing illegal firearms. They include keen sailor David Payne, 42, and his partner, motherof-three Jennifer Arthy, 41, from Halling, near Rochester. The others are John Smale, 58, Christopher Owen, 30, Harry Shilling, 22, Michael Defraine, 29, and Richard Rye, 24 – all from the Kent area.