A GUN supplier who ran a firearms conversion business from his living room is among a gang of criminals sentenced to a total of 43 years in prison for weapons offences.
The six men were arrested and charged following an operation by the Met Police’s Trident unit, which investigates gun crime in London’s black community.
Investigations revealed Gary Waller was running a cottage industry from his home in Seymour Villas, Anerley, converting imitation and blank-firing handguns into lethal weapons.
During the operation officers recovered six firearms including a converted Magnum handgun loaded with three rounds of ammunition, a converted Glock and nine rounds of ammunition.
They also recovered a Steyr machine pistol loaded with five rounds of ammunition, two converted Brocock Olympic.38s and a Magnum in the process of conversion.
Waller was arrested in September 2008 along with five other men, including Marvin Welch, of Selby Road, Anerley.
Together the six made up a network of runners, middlemen, purchasers and end-users.
Waller pleaded guilty to four counts of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, possessing ammunition with intent to endanger life and possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.
The 30-year-old was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court to 10 years in jail.
Welch, aged 29, was used by Waller to store finished and partly finished firearms in his flat.
He was given a five-year sentence after pleading guilty to three counts of possessing a prohibited weapon and possessing ammunition.
The other four gang members were also sentenced for a string of firearms offences.
Wesley Huggins, aged 25, from Lambeth, was convicted and sentenced to nine years.
Darren Yaw Opoku, aged 19, from New Addington, and Cadele Clarke, 25, from Streatham, were also found guilty at the court.
Opoku was sentenced to four years and Clarke was given an eight year sentence.
Adrian McNeish, aged 27, from East Dulwich, pleaded guilty to firearms offences as well as possession of a Class A drug.
He has been given a seven year jail term.
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