Guns, Ciggies and Illegal Immigrants Busted at Dover!
Border Force Strike as Lorry Searched at Dover
National Crime Agency (NCA) officers swooped on a lorry at Dover’s Eastern Docks on 12 July 2021. The truck, driven by Romanian Constantin Neascu, 39, was carrying a deadly secret.
Hidden inside a wine box in a rucksack on the driver’s bunk were three converted gas pistols made to look like Glock handguns. Officers also found a stash of 21,550 smuggled cigarettes in the cab, plus two Albanian men hiding inside the trailer trying to sneak into the UK illegally.
Passengers Arrested Over Guns, Cigarettes & Illegal Entry
Romanian passenger Ionut Constantin Diaconu, 36, and driver Neascu were both arrested. They face charges including importing firearms, facilitating illegal entry, and smuggling cigarettes.
In interviews with the NCA, Diaconu claimed he was simply asked to transport the rucksack to England and didn’t know it contained anything illegal. But at Maidstone Crown Court yesterday (28 February), he pleaded guilty to the firearms offence.
Prison Time for Smuggling and Revenue Evasion
- Diaconu was jailed for four years for the weapons offence.
- He also received four months for evading duty on the cigarettes.
- Driver Neascu got a four-month sentence linked to the cigarette smuggling.
NCA Boss Warns of Dangers of Firearms on UK Streets
“Diaconu was carrying a lethal cargo of weapons, which would have undoubtedly ended up in the hands of organised criminals,” said Mark Howes, Branch Commander at the NCA.
“The supply of firearms is closely tied to the drugs trade, and these weapons fuel fear, violence, and sometimes murder. Thankfully, working with Border Force, we stopped these guns hitting our streets and protected the public.”
