Armed Drug Dealer Caught in Streatham Bedsit Raid
Gun and Class A Drugs Found in Raids
Leonard Paynter, 30, of Stanthorpe Road, Streatham, was locked up after cops busted him with a loaded handgun and stashes of heroin, cocaine, and cannabis. He pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm, two counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, and possession with intent to supply Class B drugs.
On 29 January 2020, officers from the Met’s Viper unit swooped on Paynter’s bedsit under a search warrant. Inside, they found Paynter and arrested him. They seized significant amounts of heroin and cocaine plus several phones. Keys found at the flat led them to a nearby car where a loaded handgun was spotted under the driver’s seat.
Loaded Gun Ready to Fire
The gun turned out to be a working replica of a .32 calibre Belgian FN Browning model 1922 self-loading pistol. Detective Inspector Richard Mullan from the Viper team said:
“This case shows the deadly link between drug supply and serious violence. The firearm was stashed exactly where the driver could grab it instantly – ready to fire.”
Viper was launched in May 2016 to tackle rising gun crime across London. Since then, the unit has recovered 415 firearms during raids, with 238 of those being lethal weapons.
Mullan urged the public: “If you know someone carrying a weapon, tell the police – in person or anonymously.”
More Cannabis Found in Separate Croydon Bust
Paynter also got a 12-month concurrent sentence for a January 2019 Croydon raid, where officers found 2.23kg of skunk cannabis at another address and in a BMW outside. A phone with texts confirming drug deals was also seized.
Justice caught up with Paynter thanks to relentless police work cracking down on armed drug dealers across London’s streets.
