Man Charged After 60 Guns Discovered Hidden In Car

4 August 2019, 09:53 | Updated: 4 August 2019, 09:54

A man has been charged with illegally importing firearms after 60 guns were found hidden in a car in what the National Crime Agency say could be the "largest seizure of lethal purpose weapons at a UK port".

Border Force officers initially stopped a Volkswagen Passat arriving at the Port of Dover on Friday morning where an initial search recovered a blank firing handgun which had been converted to fire live ammunition.

But subsequent searches by specialist teams unearthed another 59 firearms that had been concealed deep inside the car's bumper and rear panels.

The find is believed to be largest seizure of lethal purpose weapons at a port in the UK.

37-year-old Robert Keogh from Dublin has been charged with illegally importing firearms and will appear at Margate Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

The Head of Regional Investigations Andrea Wilson described the find as a "major achievement".

"The NCA and Border Force have removed a huge haul of lethal firearms and will have made a significant impact on the organised crime group responsible for this attempted importation.

"Our investigation into the seizure is ongoing but there’s little doubt that these weapons would have gone on the criminal market and into the hands of seriously dangerous individuals.

"The level of gun crime in the UK is one of the lowest in the world.

"But these weapons pose massive potential for harm making their criminal use a priority for the NCA and wider UK law enforcement.

"We work internationally to halt the flow of guns trafficked to the UK and Border Force is a vital partner in this work to protect the nation.

This seizure is a great example of that partnership working."