Gang supplying firearms across the UK jailed for more than 62 years
A group involved in manufacturing and distributing illegal firearms from their base in Hertfordshire - have been sentenced to a total of 62-and-a-half years in prison
Five men have started prison sentences after being found guilty of conspiracy to supply firearms. They were part of an organised crime group (OCG) based in Hertfordshire that acted as a distribution network, supplying converted guns and ammunition to criminal gangs across the UK, including urban street gangs and drug suppliers.
Their sentencing follows that of three other men, who were jailed for nearly 69 years for their roles in manufacturing the firearms and ammunition.
The Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) began investigating in November 2023 after a separate firearms conversion gang in Berkshire was disrupted. That operation led to 83 guns being seized.
Encrypted messaging recovered from mobile phones linked the group to Andre Parris, 28, of Bedford Road, Hitchin. Messages sent via the Signal app showed Parris coordinating the movement of firearms in a chat titled ‘Transport’. He regularly arranged collections and deliveries with the Berkshire-based OCG.
Ricky Turner, 29, of Ascot Crescent, Stevenage, was responsible for storing the firearms before handing them over to couriers. One of those couriers was Andrew Wilson, 53, of Kimberley, Letchworth Garden City, who transported weapons across the country using password-protected exchanges to verify transactions.
Paul Aldridge, 49, formerly of Wansbeck Close, Stevenage, and Niall Curley, 42, of Ripon Road, Stevenage, also acted as couriers, making multiple trips to cities including Glasgow, Liverpool, and London to deliver firearms.
In coordinated arrests, ERSOU worked with the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Armed Policing Unit to detain the suspects over two days.
Turner was found with 34 firearms in his home, individually packaged in zip lock bags and a taped box wrapped in bubble wrap. Officers also seized 340 rounds of ammunition, over £1,000 in cash, and Class A drugs.
Curley and Aldridge were arrested after being seen delivering a package to Wilson’s address. Wilson was later stopped by police in his car, where officers found a firearm and seven rounds of ammunition.
The following day, Parris was arrested at Heathrow Airport while attempting to board a flight to Barbados. Messages on his phone indicated he was trying to flee after learning of his associates’ arrests.
All five men were charged with conspiracy to supply firearms. At St Albans Crown Court, they received the following sentences:
Andre Parris – 15 years and nine months
Ricky Turner – 12 years
Andrew Wilson – 12 years
Paul Aldridge – 12 years
Niall Curley – 10 years and nine months
Detective Chief Inspector Steve Dowty, from ERSOU’s Regional Organised Crime Unit, said: “I am pleased to see these highly dangerous criminals receive substantial prison sentences. Through the efforts of our investigators, we have significantly disrupted the supply of firearms to other criminals, making our communities safer as a result of this operation.
“This gang paid no regard to the impact their actions were causing to communities across the country and were purely motivated by profit.
“We continue to work closely with police forces within the region and colleagues in specialist units across the country to ensure that criminals face the consequences of their illicit activities.”