Gun Smuggler Busted at Dover with Eight Firearms
Gerard Dagnall, 33, from Walton, Liverpool, has been jailed for eight years and three months after trying to smuggle eight revolvers into the UK.
He was caught red-handed at the Port of Dover on July 15, 2024, when National Crime Agency (NCA) officers found the guns hidden in his car.
Smuggling Scheme Behind Bars
Dagnall claimed he thought the guns were antiques. He said he intended to give some away and sell the rest.
The unemployed man admitted buying the revolvers for €3,400 from a business in Holmbeek, near Brussels. The company refused to send the arms to the UK due to strict border checks.
So Dagnall renewed his passport and decided to sneak the weapons into the country himself.
Illegal 3D-Printed Gun Discovered at Home
Officers also found a makeshift 3D-printed firearm at Dagnall’s house. Although it wasn’t fully functional, possession added to his legal woes.
He pleaded guilty to importing deadly firearms and possessing the 3D-printed weapon during his hearing at Canterbury Crown Court.
NCA Warns: Gun Smuggling Puts Communities at Risk
Rachel Bramley, NCA operations manager, said:
“The NCA works with partners at home and abroad to protect the public from the criminal use of firearms. Gun smuggling is an extremely serious offence and weapons of this type in criminal hands bring significant danger to our communities. Ignorance of the law is no defence.”
This conviction sends a clear message: smuggling guns into the UK will not be tolerated. Thanks to cooperation between UK authorities and international partners, dangerous weapons are being kept off our streets.
