Gun gang caught converting blank-firing pistols into deadly weapons
The National Crime Agency (NCA) has smashed a Midlands gang that bought blank-firing pistols and turned them into live firearms. Perhys Neale, 31, snapped up around 45 Turkish Retay 84FS pistols from shops in Birmingham, Tamworth, and the Midlands.
From legal blanks to lethal weapons
Originally costing around £100 each, these blank-firing guns were altered to fire live ammo and would have sold for at least £2,500 each on the criminal market. Criminals prefer modified blanks since actual lethal guns are illegal and tough to get.
Neale’s accomplice Shaun Williams, 33, drove him around for these buys, paying cash. The weapons were then handed to Christopher Watson, 31, who also bought one pistol.
Experts drilled into the barrels to make the pistols operational with live rounds. They coated them with heat-resistant black paint to mask the usual blue sides, making them look genuine. In a text to his girlfriend, Neale bragged about getting four pistols converted, expecting around £9,000 profit.
Arrest and evidence haul near Spaghetti Junction
Williams and Watson were nabbed in November after cops stopped a white transit van near Birmingham’s “Spaghetti Junction”. Watson was behind the wheel. Inside, officers found two firearms dismantled into parts plus 9mm ammo.
The NCA searched all three men’s homes, uncovering drill bits and fittings used to modify guns in Watson’s house. Neale’s flat hid a small cannabis farm.
Justice served with hefty jail terms
The trio admitted guilt at Birmingham Crown Court in June. Sentences were handed down on 11 October: Watson got 5 years 3 months, Williams 4 and a half years, and Neale 4 years behind bars.
Mick Pope, NCA Branch Commander, said: “Illegal firearms feed serious violence, intimidation and coercion in our communities. It’s chilling to think dozens of these blank guns could have become viable handguns in criminal hands. Seizing them with West Midlands Police protects the public from a serious threat. Without this intervention, more illegal handguns would have flooded the streets. The NCA works relentlessly to stop criminals like these.”
Modifying blank-firing pistols into live weapons is illegal in the UK. The NCA collaborates with retailers and international partners to choke off supply, keeping deadly firearms away from criminals.
