Rotherham Weapons Gang is "Smashed" say Police

A gang in Rotherham supplying guns and weapons has been "smashed". That's what South Yorkshire police has told us. It's as three men - including two brothers - have been jailed for a total of over 17 years for firearm offences.

Robert Webb, 29, got seven and a half years while 30-year-old David Webb and Natale Lala both got five years behind bars. Police carried out three raids in the town last summer and recovered a number of weapons including a handgun, assault rifle, crossbow and stun gun. They also found balaclavas and police uniforms in a wardrobe. Robert Webb pleaded guilty to firearms offences relating to possession of a handgun, possession of a Carbine assault rifle, possession of a stun gun, possession of ammunition for a Carbine assault rifle and converting a firearm. He also pleaded guilty to a number of offences under the Explosives Act, including possession of nitro-glycerine and three counts of possessing articles to make explosives. David Webb and Lala pleaded guilty to possession of a handgun. Detective Sergeant Michael Hakin was on the raids in July. He told Hallam:

"The live firearms could have killed somebody had they got into the wrong hands. So hopefully people in Rotherham and South Yorkshire can sleep safer knowing those weapons are off the streets. "It's not common to find this amount of firearms in any premises in Rotherham. However, we still need help from members of the public with any information they might have. We need to know that so we can then act on it and hopefully we won't get to the stage again where there are this many weapons in one house." Superintendent Paul McCurry said: "What we have done is smashed a gang that were intent on supplying firearms in Rotherham and South Yorkshire. We never thought we would seize this amount of firearms, explosives and home-made machinery to actually manufacture firearms. "Certainly in my police career of 23 years I have never, ever seen as many firearms seized off a group of individuals." The convictions are part of a joint investigation into organised criminality with the National Crime Agency. Rob Lewin, head of the National Crime Agency's Specialist Operations Unit, said: “By targeting suppliers like the Webb brothers we have stopped their arsenal of weapons and explosives ending up in the hands of other criminals. I have no doubt they would have been used to commit further crimes, putting lives at risk. “During a surveillance operation our armed officers watched David Webb deliver a Glock handgun, converted by his brother, to Natale Lala. This triggered a series of events which led to the arrest of all three men, the recovery of firearms, and dangerous chemicals, including nitro-glycerine, which are used to make explosives." In 2014, they began the operation codenamed Operation Clearview, to identify and apprehend members of a sophisticated firearms ring, which included Lala and the Webb brothers.