It’s reported by the National Crime Agency that an interception at Dover of a smuggling operation that could have unleashed lethal chaos across the UK has been thwarted.
A 57-year-old Bulgarian national has been slapped with a 12-year prison sentence after attempting to sneak a terrifying deadly haul through the port of Dover.
Petar Petrov, from Varna, thought he could slip under the radar in a rented Mercedes Sprinter. But as he rolled into Dover’s Eastern Docks on February 4, his sinister mission came to a screeching halt when vigilant Border Force officers directed the van for a high-tech scan, uncovering disturbing “anomalies” hidden within the vehicle’s mechanics.
What they found beneath the chassis was nothing short of an arsenal built for mayhem:
- 54 Fully Functional Handguns: Discovered packed inside two spare tyres (24 in a tyre beneath the vehicle, 30 in a rear tyre).
- 764 Rounds of Live Ammunition: 9mm bullets tucked alongside the weapons.
- Ready to Strike: Every single handgun was fitted with a loaded magazine. Though counterfeit, authorities confirmed they were fully functional and lethal.
- Blades at the Ready: Officers also confiscated a black lock knife from his holdall and a second knife stashed in the glove box.
Petrov was caught with €1,000 in cash – a grim down payment for trafficking death into British neighbourhoods.
Following a meticulous investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA), Petrov refused to speak during police interviews but his silence failed him and he was convicted on July 10 at Canterbury Crown Court for smuggling firearms and ammunition, Petrov was officially handed a 12-year stretch behind bars.
Tracey Gasson, NCA Senior Investigating Officer said:
“Thanks to some brilliant work by Border Force colleagues, this haul of deadly weapons and a massive amount of ammunition have been kept off the streets of the UK. The organised crime group behind the smuggling attempt have lost a trusted courier and a big pay day.”