NCA officers launched an investigation after driver Marek Rafal Kloskowicz and his passenger Pawel Marcin Krakowczyk were stopped at Harwich International Port on 17 September this year.
The pair claimed to be returning from Poland to Ireland, where they had worked in construction for five years.
The BMW car, which belonged to Krakowczyk, was searched by Border Force, who found an empty gun holster within the lining of the boot.
Further searches uncovered two Zoraki forward venting blank firing firearms, which had been hidden behind the back seats and wedged in the void between the upholstery and boot compartment.
Each weapon contained a loaded magazine and were found to have been modified and converted into viable, firing firearms. X-rays showed that the magazines contained improvised bulleted cartridges, some of which had been placed in the wrong direction.
Guns are often associated with the supply of illegal drugs, and are used by organised criminals to instil fear, inflict violence and in some cases, to kill.
We will continue to work with key partners, such as Border Force, to prevent illegal firearms from entering the UK.
