Ex-Firefighter Jailed for Stockpiling Guns and Ammo Bought Online
A former firefighter from Slough has been locked up after the National Crime Agency (NCA) uncovered a massive stash of illegal weapons bought over the internet.
Guns and Ammo Found Hidden in Cars and Family Homes
Tyrone Bahar, 43, was snared at Birmingham Airport returning from Jamaica. The NCA had spotted his suspicious online purchases from Europe.
Officers discovered his cars and home stuffed with a revolver, a blank firing pistol, eight pepper spray canisters, two stun guns, 569 rounds of ammunition, a machete, and an extendable baton.
At his mum’s house, cops found three more firearms, a stun gun, and another 145 rounds of bullets.
Denied Claims and Guilty Pleas
Bahar initially claimed he thought the guns were legal and planned to hand them in at the next police amnesty. He also tried to blame the spray canisters in his cars on a garage.
He eventually pleaded guilty to five counts of possessing prohibited firearms, two counts of illegal ammunition possession, and five counts of prohibited weapons possession.
Kingston Crown Court sentenced him to five years behind bars on 1 February.
NCA Warns: Online Illegal Gun Buying Will Not Be Tolerated
“Bahar hid these weapons around his home, cars and the homes of family members in an attempt to avoid their detection,” said Mark McCormack, NCA branch commander.
“These illegal firearms are, or can be converted to, lethal weapons and often end up in the hands of organised criminals.
“Taking Bahar’s huge haul off the streets has removed dangerous weapons from circulation. We’ll keep targeting those trying to bring illegal firearms into the UK.”
Bahar was caught as part of Project Vizardlike, a national crackdown on people buying illegal guns online and smuggling them into Britain. Since 2018, this operation has seized over 550 prohibited weapons and 3,500 rounds of ammunition.
If you have info about illegal guns or concerns about firearms access, contact police or report anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
