Two Men Jailed After London Gun and Drug Haul
Two criminals have been locked up after police seized three firearms, £14,000 cash, and a huge stash of class A drugs in a south London bust. The haul was uncovered during a specialist Met Police operation targeting organised crime.
Heavy Sentences for Bromley and Berkhamsted Men
Jody Hall, 46, from Bromley, landed 12 years for firearms offences and cocaine supply. Harry El Araby, 33, of Berkhamsted, was jailed for six years for possession of a firearm, ammo, and a silencer. Both pled guilty at Woolwich Crown Court on 30 June.
Police Surveillance Leads to Dramatic Bust
Officers from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command watched Hall on 4 May after receiving intelligence. He donned plastic gloves and retrieved a bulky package from a garage, placing it carefully in his car. Moments later, El Araby met Hall on a bike for a quick handover before speeding off.
Armed police intercepted El Araby in nearby Mottingham Lane and found a Glock handgun with silencer and 50 rounds hidden in a plastic bag. They also recovered £10,000 cash and an encrypted Encrochat phone.
Hall was stopped shortly after and found with another Encrochat phone. A search of his home revealed £4,000 in cash and 11 kilos of cocaine. A revolver was hidden inside an old washing machine in Hall’s garage, alongside a Berreta handgun loaded with six bullets.
Operation Eternal Cuts Out The Crime
This bust is part of the Met’s huge Operation Eternal targeting serious organised crime. Thanks to intelligence shared by European partners and the National Crime Agency following the Venetic operation, encrypted Encrochat messages gave police the edge to crack hundreds of cases.
Detective Constable Gio Antoniazzi said: “These guns, and every bullet, represent lives that could have been lost. I’m glad we removed them from London’s streets.”
“This teamwork forced Hall and El Araby to plead guilty. We hope this sends a clear message about the consequences of dealing in deadly weapons and drugs.”
“We will remain relentless in cutting out illegal firearms, drugs, and cash from London’s streets.”
