A 22-year-old criminal mastermind from Swanley bragged “we now officially gangsters” after smuggling a massive arsenal of Eastern European guns into the UK, a court has heard.

Harry Shilling, of Hart Dyke Road, was allegedly behind the plan to sail a boat laden with 22 assault rifles and nine sub-machine guns with a street value of more than £100,000 up the River Medway from Boulogne in France.

The cruiser Albernina arrived with its “evil” cargo at Cuxton Marina, near Rochester in Kent, on August 10 last year.

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Some of the weapons found at Cuxton Marina

The weapons which could have found their way to the British drugs markets or for hire within the criminal underworld were capable of “unleashing carnage on a terrifying scale”, a jury at the Old Bailey was told on Monday.

But the National Crime Agency (NCA) had the plotters under surveillance and swooped to seize the deadly cache before it could be buried and then passed into the wrong hands, the court heard.

Shilling, Michael Defraine, 30, of Franklin Road, Bexleyheath and Rochester residents John Smale, 58, and Jennifer Arthy, 42, stand trial for gun smuggling and possessing firearms with intent to endanger life.

Richard Rye, 24, of Lime Road, Swanley along with Rochester men, David Payne, 43, and Christopher Owen, 30, previously admitted their involvement in the plot.

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Shilling allegedly came up with the plan and paid for the guns, with help from his man on the Continent, Defraine, and “loyal lieutenant” Rye, who acted as a “go-between” with others.

Payne brought the guns into the country on board the Albernina, which was paid for by Shilling and Rye, the court heard.

The men’s BlackBerry mobile phones had been installed with encryption software which the NCA was able to crack to provide “compelling evidence” of their key roles, the court heard.

On arriving back in the UK, Payne texted Rye to say “All done” followed by an email from Shilling to Defraine saying: “There home.”

Later, Shilling sent another email saying: “We now officially gangsters”, to which Defraine responded: “F****** nice one.”

Shilling replied: “Hahahaha defo that’s sick. Duck and run for cover bitches,” followed by: “We are a firm ant we.”

Shilling also exchanged messages with a mystery contact “B” to arrange the onward supply of the guns, the court heard.

He stated: “Next month I have 30 glocks I will sell,” the jury was told.

B replied: “Ok mate let me polish the ak first and then u gonna give sweets with them?”

Shilling allegedly replied: “Yea theres two clips with each one”.

On August 11, Shilling, Defraine and Rye went to DIY store Homebase to buy bags and tools to bury the weapons until they were needed, Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson QC said.

Each of the 22 Czech assault rifles, similar to an AK47, would have fetched up to £4,000 even though they were sold at “shockingly low” prices in Eastern Europe.

They had been reactivated and made available for purchase in the Czech or Slovak Republics.

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The “sought after” Skorpion machine guns would have netted £3,500 apiece.

Mr Atkinson said: “The prosecution contends that these guns were more than trophies – they were working weapons and they came with a large amount of working ammunition.

“The defendants intended these guns to be used, and to be used with ammunition, for the purpose for which they were designed - as lethal weapons capable of unleashing carnage on a terrifying scale - and they clearly intended to profit from doing so.”

Shilling, Defraine, Smale, and Arthy, who lived with Payne on a houseboat in Cuxton, deny the charges against them.

Payne and Rye, have also admitted a conspiracy to supply firearms that would be used by others to endanger life.

The trial continues.