Serving Soldier Jailed for Passing On Military Bullets
A serving British soldier has been slapped with a 15-month jail term and booted out of the Army after being caught passing on military-issue ammunition.
Norfolk Soldier Caught in Bullet Smuggling Scandal
Ralstan Pusey, 31, from Norfolk, pleaded guilty to possession of prohibited ammunition under the Firearms Act 1968. The verdict came following a trial at Kingston Crown Court, with sentencing on 9 July.
The case kicked off back in November 2016 when police stopped a vehicle in Luton. Officers found a loaded handgun and 97 rounds of 9mm Parabellum ammo inside. The driver got six years behind bars for firearm possession in 2017.
High-Tech Clue Uncovered in iPhone Box
Further probing by the Metropolitan Police’s Specialist Crime South team uncovered the ammo was stashed in two containers, one disguised in an iPhone box.
Tracking the IMEI number on the box linked the bullets straight to Pusey, a Lance Corporal with 1st Queen’s Dragoon Guards – a cavalry regiment of the British Army. His fingerprints were found on the containers during forensic tests.
Forensic Work Nails Soldier in Ammo Crime
Pusey denied knowing anything about the bullets when arrested in April 2017. But detectives traced the rounds back to a 2010 batch made for the British Military. The court heard the soldier likely got hold of the ammo while deployed in Germany during firing exercises.
Detective Constable Leon Ure said: “This was an unusual case which opened up as the result of meticulous forensic work. Officers were able to narrow down the source of the bullets to the British Army, and a jury was convinced that it was Pusey who had passed the bullets on.”
He added: “Possessing ammunition is a very serious offence – criminals use the black market ammo in gang violence and organised crime across London’s streets.”
Pusey was cleared of theft but convicted of ammunition possession, ending his military career with immediate effect.
