WIREDGOV

A 34-year-old man from the Netherlands has appeared in court in the UK to face charges over the attempted importation of an AK47-style automatic rifle and handgun.

National Crime Agency officers extradited Narada Turkson back to the UK last week, after a joint operation with Dutch police that saw him arrested in Amsterdam in March.

He appeared before Margate Magistrates on 7 June, and was remanded in custody until his next court appearance at Canterbury Crown Court on 10 July.

The extradition follows an NCA investigation into a seizure made at the Channel Tunnel terminal in Coquelles, northern France, in March 2020.

The guns, along with around a hundred rounds of ammunition, were found by Border Force in a rented Mercedes car driven by Steven Dema, 33, from Blackpool.

His girlfriend Chelsea Addison, 32, from Walsall, was later arrested for her role in organising the smuggling attempt. Investigators believe the couple may have carried out previous runs, importing weapons on behalf of organised crime groups.

Turkson is accused of supplying the weapons to Dema and Addison, who both received jail sentences of more than 11 years.

NCA Branch Commander Mark Howes said:

“These firearms would have been used by organised crime groups to dominate and intimidate communities, to enforce control over criminal markets like the class A drugs trade.

“Stopping the supply of firearms is a priority for the NCA, and I’m grateful for the support of our Dutch partners in locating and arresting Turkson.”