Four men were locked up after police unearthed a gun used in shootings in the Old Swan area of Liverpool.
Jonathan Southward, 25, Steven Lloyd, 22, Anthony Nolan, 20, and Peter Stevens, 18, were sentenced to more than 25 years in jail and young offender facilities.
They were arrested as part of Operation Balham, which commenced after firearms were recovered from a property in Dartmouth Drive, Netherton, in January this year.
The address was being used by Southward at the time.
During the search, a Glock pistol that had been used during previous shootings in the L13 area in 2013 was recovered.
Three revolver-type handguns were also recovered along with ammunition and ammunition-making kits.
Officers established that the three revolver-type weapons had been imported by Lloyd from France.
Further investigations established that Lloyd had imported a total of 18 weapons as well as ammunition-making kits over a five month period.
Southward, of Dartmouth Drive, Netherton, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess prohibited weapons with intent to endanger life and was jailed for nine years.
Four men were locked up after police unearthed a gun used in shootings in the Old Swan area of Liverpool.
Lloyd, of Moss Lane, Litherland, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess prohibited weapons with intent to endanger life and possession of a firearm.
He was jailed for 10-and-a-half years.
Nolan, of Marie Curie Avenue, Netherton, pleaded guilty to possession of a prohibited weapon. He was sentenced to five years in a young offenders’ facility.
Stevens, of Cross Hey, Litherland, pleaded guilty to possession of a prohibited weapon and was sentenced to three years in a young offenders’ facility. He was also sentenced for possession of Class B drugs.
As part of the investigation a further decommissioned weapon and a rifle previously stolen from a burglary in the Cheshire area were also recovered from the home address of Nolan and further forensic work also linked Stevens to one of the weapons recovered from Dartmouth Drive.
Detective Inspector Ian Hussey said: “This case comes as a result of local officers working side by side with detectives from Matrix Serious Organised Crime to take firearms off the streets of Merseyside.
“This reaffirms to the local community that we are relentless in our pursuit of those involved in gun crime.
“I am pleased with the sentences that were imposed by the court and hope that they will act as a deterrent to others.”
If anyone has any information about criminal activity where they live, they can contact the gun crime hotline on 0800 230 0600 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/