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U.S sponsored Terrorist network busted in Dartford Kent

Luther Blissett | 13.09.2006 13:05 | Anti-militarism | Terror War | London | South Coast

"It is impossible to overestimate the misery and fear these weapons could have brought if they had got into the hands of criminals."
The arrested man, who is a registered gun dealer, was led out under a blanket from his semi-detached house - which has a US flag flying from it - at about 1000 BST.



Last Updated: Wednesday, 13 September 2006, 12:42 GMT 13:42 UK

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/5341074.stm
Firearms seized in police raids

Police said "hundreds and hundreds" of guns were found
Officers have uncovered a stash of hundreds of guns in what is described as one of the biggest weapons seizures in the Metropolitan Police's history.
Three addresses were visited during dawn raids on Wednesday in Dartford, Kent, as part of an 18-month inquiry into shootings in north London.

A 55-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of supplying firearms during the raids, which involved 30 officers.

Law enforcement agencies in the US have arrested a man in linked raids.

The suspect was held in the state of New Jersey by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which has been liaising with the Metropolitan Police (Met).

Pump-action shotguns, automatic, semi-automatic weapons, M16 rifles, revolvers as well as antique firearms and ammunition were seized in the raids, carried out by the Met's Operation Trident team, which investigates gun crime within London's black community.


Plain clothes police officers from Operation Trident raided the house

Two homes - one of which was where most the weapons were found - and a commercial premises were visited by detectives.

Four firearms were seized at the second residential address and cash was found at all three.

The operation - codenamed Mokpo - was launched 18 months ago following a spate of shootings in north London involving rival gangs.

Det Ch Supt Kevin Davis, from Operation Trident, said: "This is the biggest firearms haul we (Operation Trident) have ever had.

"The premises raided were used to store hundreds and hundreds of weapons. I have never seen anything like it.


It is impossible to overestimate the misery and fear these weapons could have brought if they had got into the hands of criminals
Det Ch Supt Kevin Davis

Q&A: Operation Trident

"There are guns everywhere. It will take us at least three days to log it all and bag up the evidence.

"It is impossible to overestimate the misery and fear these weapons could have brought if they had got into the hands of criminals."

The arrested man, who is a registered gun dealer, was led out under a blanket from his semi-detached house - which has a US flag flying from it - at about 1000 BST.

He has been taken to a north London police station for questioning

Luther Blissett
- Homepage: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/5341074.stm

Comments

Hide the following 4 comments

???

13.09.2006 15:32

gun runner is arrested & this makes him a US sponsored terrorist???

flo


caro flo

13.09.2006 17:02

You have to take a broader look at how the media reports stories like this one and perhaps a little time to read the article in question. You'd find that :
a) in connection with this bust raids were also carried out in Americaca
b) The dude had an american flag flying from his house.

If this guy was an asian and had the flag of an Asian country, say Pakistan flying from his yard and a few hundred guns, the most ever found by Scotland yard, what would the corporate media have said ?
Like we're talking the SUN or other UK gutter press .. so there you go obviously the UK media is not going to
start screaming terrorists because everyone knows that GW Chimp and the seventh cavalry are running the war against terror innit

Stig


double standards?

14.09.2006 14:58

you're using the hypocrisy and lies of the mainstream media to justify the hypocrisy and lies of a poster on indymedia. this is clearly ridiculous.

This man may have connections with people in america, but the american government doesn't necessarily support every gun-runner in it's borders.

two wrongs don't justify a right.

-pandy

pandy


for Stig.

14.09.2006 19:37

"If this guy was an asian and had the flag of an Asian country, say Pakistan flying from his yard and a few hundred guns, the most ever found by Scotland yard, what would the corporate media have said" Probably much the same they've said in this case: that a man's been arrested and guns were found in the house. But posters on indymedia would have said, as per recent bomb-related arrests, that the police operation was a hoax designed to stir up fear of Asians and demonise Pakistan, complain about grossly disproportionate use of police force and denounce the obvious dragnet tactics being used as innocent premises are raided ("no weapons were found at the third property").

"Law enforcement agencies in the US have arrested a man in linked raids. The suspect was held in the state of New Jersey by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which has been liaising with the Metropolitan Police" -- oh yeah, that's a "U.S sponsored Terrorist network" all right.

Spot