Two men have been convicted and imprisoned for supplying firearms to organised crime groups following a National Crime Agency investigation.
Ibraheem Abdullah, aged 42 and from Crumpsall in Manchester, and Amit Desai, aged 49 and from Leicester, were found guilty of offences including weapon trafficking and drug supply.
The inquiry was initiated after investigators obtained evidence from the encrypted communication network known as EncroChat.
Messages analysed during the investigation showed that Abdullah primarily handled customer acquisition while Desai managed cash collection and occasionally delivered weapons directly to buyers.
During March 2020, Desai supplied two firearms and approximately 100 rounds of ammunition to contacts during a rendezvous near Brighton.
The weapons involved had been modified from Slovakian-produced Grand Power G9A blank-firing pistols and were sold for sums of £10,000 and £8,500 respectively.
Financial records and communications indicated that Desai provided Abdullah with 500 grams of cocaine in March 2020 as payment towards firearms, retaining a further 500 grams to cover the outstanding balance.
Records also showed that Desai offered to supply Abdullah with cannabis.
In April 2020, Abdullah obtained two additional pistols.
One of these was retrieved by Desai from a car park adjoining a convenience store situated in Grappenhall, Warrington.
At the time of his arrest on 21 March 2021, Abdullah was already subject to an active investigation concerning conspiracy to import class A drugs.
Desai had been detained several days earlier by Staffordshire Police officers whilst travelling on the A500 in Stoke-on-Trent.
During his apprehension, officers discovered £2,870 in currency together with a bag of cocaine concealed within the fuel cap of his vehicle.
Abdullah received a 12-year custodial sentence for drug-related offences in March 2022.
He subsequently entered guilty pleas to two firearms charges at Manchester Crown Court in October 2023.
At the same venue, Desai admitted one charge of supplying class A drugs and two charges of conspiracy to transfer prohibited weapons on 29 June, immediately before his scheduled trial commenced.
He had previously acknowledged a cannabis supply offence during an earlier court appearance.
Desai was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on 8 October.
NCA branch commander Cat McHugh stated that the pair treated these dangerous weapons as ordinary commercial goods without concern for public safety or the potential recipients of such armaments.
She emphasised that financial profit appeared to be their sole motivation, and highlighted the established connection between firearms and narcotics markets, explaining why the agency collaborates with domestic and international law enforcement partners to target the organised criminal networks responsible for such activities.