79 guns seized from car heading to UK

A massive guns haul has been recovered from a vehicle on the French side of the Channel Tunnel as it prepared to enter Britain, police said.

Seventy-nine "viable" weapons were recovered from the trailer of the vehicle stopped at Coquelles on Saturday by Border Force officers.Picture PA

Seventy-nine “viable” weapons were recovered from the trailer of the vehicle stopped at Coquelles on Saturday by Border Force officers.

Two men - a Polish and a Czech national - have been arrested in connection with the raid, which was part of a joint operation by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and detectives from Scotland Yard’s organised crime unit.

Graham Gardner, the NCA’s deputy director of investigations, said: “Our recent threat assessment highlights that handguns are still commonly favoured by some criminal groups in the UK.

“They may not be the largest firearm, but they are easily concealable and lethal in the hands of anyone prepared to use them.”

The 4mm and 6mm weapons and ammunition were found hidden in specially-adapted engine blocks, the NCA said.

Six other Poles - four men and two women - who were arrested at the scene will face no further action.