This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/london/5341074.stm
The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Firearms seized in police raids | Firearms seized in police raids |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| 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. | 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 raided during dawn raids on Wednesday in Dartford, Kent, as part of an 18-month investigation into shootings in north London. | Three addresses were raided during dawn raids on Wednesday in Dartford, Kent, as part of an 18-month investigation into shootings in north London. |
| A 55-year-old man has been arrested during the raids, which involved 30 police officers. | |
| Law enforcement agencies in the US have carried out linked raids in New Jersey. | |
| The weapons police have seized included shotguns, automatic and semi-automatic weapons. | |
| 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 | |
| BBC London's crime correspondent Guy Smith said some of the firearms were legitimate but police suspect many others could be illegal. | |
| He added live ammunition was discovered on the garage floor at one address. | |
| The Met's Operation Trident team, which investigates gun crime within London's black community, carried out the raids. | |
| Officers raided two residential and one commercial address at about 0600 BST. | |
| The weapons were found at one of the residential premises. | |
| 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 operation has resulted in hundreds of guns being taken out of circulation and has potentially prevented a number of serious injuries or even deaths occurring on the streets of London. | |
| "It is impossible to overestimate the misery and fear these weapons could have brought if they had got into the hands of criminals. | |
| "Today's seizure demonstrates Trident's determination not only to target the gunmen but also tackle those who are responsible for supplying guns in the first place." |