Gang Boss Rocky Thompson Gets 15 Years for Guns and Heroin Smuggling
Major Firearms Ring Busted
Rocky Thompson, 35, a nomad with no fixed address, has been slammed with a 15-year jail term after admitting conspiracy to sell firearms, possess ammunition, and supply heroin. His accomplices also faced heavy sentences in a ruthless crackdown on an organised crime network trafficking deadly weapons and Class A drugs.
Shakeel Khaliq, 34, from Aylesbury, was locked up for 14 years after being found guilty of conspiring to sell firearms. Yetgin Eken, 47, also homeless, bagged 13 years for conspiracy to sell firearms and ammunition possession. Mohammed Raqib Tariq, 24, of Aylesbury, got off lighter with a 21-month suspended sentence for participating in the gang’s activities.
Plot to Flood UK Streets with Guns and Drugs
The court heard how Thompson, the gang’s ringleader, travelled to Istanbul in September 2019 to arrange gun deals with contacts overseas. Back in the UK, yetgin Eken hid firearms and ammo in his lorry, sneaking them in through Dover before driving to Norfolk.
Calls buzzed between Thompson, Khaliq, and their Turkish contact as the weapons arrived. Khaliq sent Tariq to collect the first shipment, including guns, ammo, and heroin – the later worth around £100,000. Tariq handed over £9,000 in a high-stakes handoff at Thetford.
Armed Police Strike With Precision
Police forces from the Met, Thames Valley, Norfolk, and Suffolk pounced. Armed officers swooped on Thompson and Khaliq’s safe house in Aylesbury, arrested Tariq at a petrol station near Newmarket, and seized six pistols, 126 rounds, and over 1kg of heroin hidden in Tariq’s vehicle.
Eken was nabbed in his lorry. Despite claiming he thought he was transporting food, his phone was full of handgun photos, blowing his defence wide open.
Police Praise Team Effort
Detective Chief Inspector Driss Hayoukane, lead investigator, said: “This was a complex, fast-moving probe into firearms trafficking. I’m proud of the hard work my team put in to dismantle this organised crime network. Rocky Thompson’s early guilty plea shows how strong our case was.”
“This sentencing sends a strong message that the Metropolitan Police and partners are committed to keeping dangerous weapons off the streets. With six lethal guns, ammo, and heroin seized, we’ve likely prevented serious or fatal shootings across London and beyond.”
“This success was only possible thanks to collaboration between multiple police forces including Thames Valley and Norfolk and Suffolk Constabularies.”
