A Watford drug dealer was nabbed red-handed with a loaded handgun and a hefty wad of cash – and ended up behind bars for six years.
Confession on the Spot Lands Dealer in Hot Water
Daniel Pickavance, 27, of Otley Way, Watford, shocked officers when he admitted, “There’s thirty grand in there and a handgun,” after they stopped him on Watford Road, Radlett on 29 October 2025.
He pointed the National Crime Agency (NCA) officers to the back seat of his VW Golf where they found a loaded Top-Venting Blank-Firing pistol packed with five 8mm bullets and over £30,000 cash.
More Drugs and Cash Found in Property Raids
Investigations didn’t stop there. NCA officers raided Pickavance’s homes and uncovered 3.3 kilos of cannabis, an additional £5,900 in cash, and a cash counting machine – all pointing to a serious drug operation.
Plumber Turns Offender: Six Years Behind Bars
Despite staying silent during interviews, Pickavance finally pleaded guilty to multiple charges at St Albans Crown Court on 2 December 2025. Today, he was sentenced to five years and four months for drug offences, plus eight extra months for breaching a suspended sentence for assault last year.
NCA Senior Investigating Officer Matteo Sole said: “Pickavance was caught red-handed with a dangerous weapon that he no doubt used as a tool for his drugs trade. The amount of incriminating evidence collected left him with no choice but to plead guilty. The NCA is committed to protecting the public from the threat of firearms and drugs by pursuing criminals like Pickavance and taking them off the streets.”
Deadly Guns and Amnesty Campaigns
Pickavance’s gun was a TVBF pistol – a blank-firing weapon easily converted into a lethal firearm with simple DIY tools. Possession of such weapons carries up to 10 years in jail.
In February last year, nearly 3,000 Turkish-made TVBF guns were handed in during a nationwide amnesty led by the NCA and the National Police Chiefs’ Council.
A similar amnesty for Italian-made Bruni guns ran throughout February 2026, aiming to take these dangerous weapons off the streets.
Date: 27 February 2026
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