Five gun runners jailed for a combined total of forty years for firearms crimes in Lewisham and Lambeth
A gang of five men have been jailed for a combined total of 40 years for driving firearms around Lewisham and Lambeth after police surveillance teams caught them in the act.
The men were sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court on Wednesday for trafficking lethal weapons around South London and other numerous firearms offences.
During a trial, the Judge and jury heard that a surveillance investigation led armed officers to discover the weapon inside a blue Toyota Prius on Wood Vale, on July 4, 2019.
Dramatic footage of an arrest, below, where the suspect admits he is carrying a gun, was revealed as part of the evidence.
Reece White, 22, of Kirkstall Road – yards from the spot where the firearms cops swooped – pleaded guilty on October 5, last year, to possession of a firearm and he was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment.
Nathaniel Corbett, 26, of Tilson Gardens – yards away on the other side of New Park Road – and Michael Adebambo, 27, of Clarence Crescent – a further few hundred yards away towards Clapham – were both found guilty of possession of a firearm on Friday, April 16.
They were both sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment each.
Siraatillah Ford, 22, of Stockwell Road, was found guilty of possession of a firearm on Friday, April 16. He will be sentenced at a later date.
A 24-year-old man, arrested on July 4 2019, was found not guilty of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life at the same court.
A further two men were also found guilty of transferring a firearm.
Jordan Adams, 29, of Lewisham High Street, and Nail Johnson, 28, of Star Lane in Orpington, were found guilty of transferring a firearm contrary to Section five of the Firearms Act 1968 on Friday, April 16 and have both been sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment.
Their arrests were part of an operation executed by officers on July 4, 2019 in the Lewisham area.
At approximately 6.20pm an armed stop was conducted on the Prius in Wood Vale, in Forest Hill.
The male passenger, Reece White, was detained, and in his bag officers recovered a revolver.
He was arrested for possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.
A further surveillance operation was conducted in order to locate a Ford Focus.
This vehicle containing Adebambo and Corbett, who had been observed being involved in the collection of the revolver from another group of men.
At 6.50pm, the vehicle was stopped and the men were detained on New Park Road, Brixton Hill, near Freeman House.
They were arrested and subsequently charged with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and remanded in custody.
A dedicated investigation by specialist crime officers into the circumstances surrounding the handover of the weapon identified that Johnson and Adams were the men responsible for transferring the firearm.
Adams was arrested on July 2, 2019, on suspicion of transferring a firearm contrary to Section 5(2A) (b) of the Firearms Act 1968.
Johnson was arrested on October 14, 2019, on suspicion of transferring a firearm contrary to Section 5(2A) (b) of the Firearms Act 1968.
Ford was arrested on July 16, 2019, on suspicion of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.
The gun has since been test-fired by an expert and it has been found to be a firearm in working order and capable of firing live ammunition.
Detective Constable Iain Logan, of Specialist Crime South, said: “I’m really proud to have been part of the team that has put six very dangerous individuals behind bars for a significant amount of time.
“More importantly it’s the pride of knowing that thanks for the efforts of the team, and colleagues from our Firearms Command, a working and capable gun has now been destroyed and will no longer be available to criminals.”
Anyone with information about someone who may be carrying a weapon or is involved in violent crime is urged to contact police immediately or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.