Ilford man among nine in organised criminal gang to plead guilty
The firearm which was recovered from the business premises in Brentwood - Credit: Met Police
Nine members of an organised criminal network involved in conspiracy to supply cocaine and the conversion of a shotgun have pleaded guilty.
Among them is Nikhal Shastri, of Wakefield Gardens, Ilford, who admitted to possession of a firearm with intent to cause others to fear unlawful violence, possession of a prohibited weapon and conspiracy to supply class A drugs namely crack cocaine.
The 22-year-old pleaded guilty at Basildon Crown Court on Tuesday and is due to be sentenced on June 9.
Detectives executed a search warrant at NUE Prestige in Suffolk House Yard, Ashwells Road, Brentwood, in September last year and recovered a sawn stock of a shot gun and the tools use for shortening it.
At the business premises – purportedly being used as a car hire company – officers also recovered £2,600 in cash and two canisters of CS gas.
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Subsequent searches revealed a loaded sawn-off shotgun and 16 cartridges hidden in the roof space of an adjoining car port.
A Turkish national, Ugar Kurkukiravul, 30, who lived at the premises, was also arrested and pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with intent to cause others to fear unlawful violence and possession of a prohibited weapon.
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CCTV recovered at the yard clearly showed him and four others handling the sawn-off shotgun earlier on the day of the arrests.
Amaan Rob, 25, of Berkeley Road, Manor Park, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with intent to cause others to fear unlawful violence and possession of a prohibited weapon.
Aaron Ellwood, 24, of Greenwell Road, Witham, Essex, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with intent to cause others to fear unlawful violence, possession of a prohibited weapon and conspiracy to supply class A drugs namely crack cocaine.
Lewis Marsh, 18, of Orchard Drive, Frinton-on-Sea, Essex, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with intent to cause others to fear unlawful violence, possession of a prohibited weapon and conspiracy to supply class A drugs namely crack cocaine.
Jorden Hegg of Birch Close, Romford, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs namely crack cocaine.
Jake Turton, 17, of Peake Avenue, Kirby Cross, Frinton-on-Sea, Essex, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs namely crack cocaine.
Stephen Hirst, 44, of Vaughan Williams Way, Brentwood, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs namely crack cocaine.
Nigel Hammond, 29, of Ravenoak Way, Chigwell, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs namely crack cocaine.
All except Kurkukiravul are UK nationals.
