‘Assassination kit gang’ who made and distributed firearms jailed for more than 65 years

A Nottingham man who supplied ‘assassination kits’ to the criminal underworld has been jailed for 23 years.

Gary Hardy, of The Birches in Ravenshead, had already served a lengthy prison sentence for conspiracy to supply heroin and amphetamine in 2008.

But the 62-year-old has now found himself back behind bars after the courts heard he was a key player in ‘one of the largest gun factory operations in the East Midlands’.

Hardy’s operation to put lethal weapons into the hands of criminals was foiled thanks to an extensive investigation by Nottinghamshire Police and East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU).

The investigation found that the gang were turning blank firing handguns and ammunition into viable firearms.

They were then packaged as ‘assassination kits’ containing a handgun, a silencer, magazine and ammunition wrapped in latex gloves.

The deadly kits were then sent across the country and later recovered in places including the West Midlands and Essex. None of the seized firearms had been used.

Detectives managed to intercept some of the assassination kits in August 2023 during a vehicle stop near Gallows Lane in Measham and tie it back to the gang through DNA evidence.

Inside this vehicle, they found a white box containing four firearms. Each handgun was individually packaged and had with it a silencer, 10 rounds of ammunition in a magazine wrapped in a latex glove.

Evidence revealed at least 33 firearms had been manufactured in the gang’s factory.

They also had the potential to supply up to 80 further firearms packages had they not been stopped by our team of officers.

At Nottingham Crown Court on Friday 27 June, the gang, including Hardy, were jailed for a combined 65 years and six months.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Adas, from Nottinghamshire Police, said:

“These are ruthless individuals that have a complete disregard for human life.

“They were creating, packaging and distributing firearms, which would have led to devastating consequences had they been used in public.

“Each handgun had been threaded to fit a silencer, which allowed the gun to be used discreetly at close quarters, meaning any potential targets would be lucky to escape with their lives. 

“The rounds of ammunition were converted in such a way that upon impact they expanded causing maximum damage to any target.

“Our team of detectives have now closed arguably one of the biggest firearm factories in the East Midlands and taken a large quantity of firearms off the streets. 

“The full impact of this investigation will never be seen – that’s because we are unable to count the number of lives we may have saved.

“If this operation had continued undetected, the strong likelihood is these weapons would have been used and people would have been killed or seriously harmed.

“To put this into context - considering that each Assassination Kit included 10 rounds of converted ammunition, the seizure of more than 800 blank firing rounds and nearly 800 lead pellets indicates that the group had the potential to supply up to 80 further firearms packages.

“So far, we have identified eight locations across the country where these specific converted firearms or ammunition have been seized.

“The majority were in the West Midlands. This was therefore a well-established and far-reaching criminal enterprise.

“These criminals have shown no remorse. They provided no comment in interview and have no care whatsoever for the damage they were willing to inflict on others.

“Their motives are likely to have been financial, providing weapons to criminals who in turn were using them to protect their drug operations.

“They have now paid the full price for their actions by being handed lengthy prison sentences.

“Hardy is likely to spend the remainder of his life behind bars, which sends out a clear message to those willing to get involved in this level of criminality.”

Defendants:

Hardy

Gary Hardy, aged 62, of The Birches in Ravenshead, organised and controlled the supply of these ‘Assassination Kits’.

He was found guilty of:

• Conspired with others to sell or transfer a firearm
• Conspired with others to have in your possession a firearm with intent by means thereof to endanger life or to enable another person by means thereof to endanger life
• Conspired with others to convert into a firearm a thing, namely a blank firing firearm

He was sentenced to 23 years in prison.

Houston

Steven Houston, aged 65, of Breach Oak Lane, Corley, Warwickshire, supplied these weapons to members of the criminal underworld.

Houston was found guilty of:

• Conspired with others to sell or transfer a firearm.
• Conspired with others to have in your possession a firearm with intent by means thereof to endanger life or to enable another person by means thereof to endanger life.
• Conspired with others to convert into a firearm a thing, namely a blank firing firearm

He was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Knowles

Ronald Knowles, aged 64, of Milton Avenue, Alfreton, acquired blank firing handguns and ammunition, which he converted into viable firearms at his home address.

Firearms officers descended onto Knowles property where they found him in his back garden setting fire to evidence.

He dropped a bag to his side containing an unconverted handgun, ammunition, and a throwing star.

In a large outbuilding to the rear of his Milton Avenue address, officers found an array of tools and machinery used for converting blank firing handguns into viable firearms.

A huge quantity of weaponry was also seized from inside Milton Avenue such as crossbows, knives, axes, machetes, swords, gas powered weapons, airguns and associated ammunition. 

Knowles pleaded guilty to:

• Conspired with others to sell or transfer a firearm
• Conspired with others to have in your possession a firearm with intent by means thereof to endanger life or to enable another person by means thereof to endanger life
• Conspired with others to convert into a firearm a thing, namely a blank firing firearm

He was sentenced to 13 years and six months. 

Hill

Jason Hill, aged 23, of Derby Road, Risley, was caught with two handguns, two silencers and ammunition in a safe hidden in his garden.

He was found guilty of:

• Conspired with others to have in your possession a firearm with intent by means thereof to endanger life or to enable another person by means thereof to endanger life.

He was sentenced to four years in prison. This will be served consecutively to the minimum 29 years he is currently serving for murder in relation to a separate case. 

In his sentencing remarks, Judge Mark Watson said:

“The firearms were sold as part of what have rightly been described as ‘assassination kits’. You were in business together and you each brought your own set of skills and contacts to this enterprise.

“Each of you contributed in different but important ways. This was an ongoing enterprise brought to an end only by police intervention.”