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The Midlands crime gang who created 'assassination kits' - and how police tracked them down
- In 2023, Nottinghamshire Police and EMSOU dismantled a large firearms manufacturing operation linked to Gary Hardy and Ronald Knowles in the East Midlands.
- The operation followed Hardy's 20-year prison release for a 2008 drugs conviction and involved Knowles converting blank-firing guns into lethal assassination kits.
- Knowles assembled around 33 live pistols and 80 kits containing silencers, gloves, and expanding ammunition, which Hardy sold via Stephen Houston to organised crime groups.
- Police seized four lethal self-loading pistols packaged with silencers, gloves, and ammunition in August 2023, and confirmed one was used by Jason Hill to murder Owen Fairclough.
- The convictions at Nottingham Crown Court reflect a significant disruption to a deadly firearms supply network, potentially preventing serious harm or death in the region.
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Thurrock Gazette+4 Reposted by 4 other sources
Notorious gang who supplied ‘live firearms’ to Essex underworld sentenced
Weapons collector Ronald Knowles, 64, converted at least 33 replica pistols into live firearms at his home in Alfreton that ended up in hands of…
·Essex, United Kingdom
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biggleswadetoday.co.uk+4 Reposted by 4 other sources
Home firearms factory dismantled: Man who made ‘assassination kits’ at home caught setting fire to evidence
A large quantity of weaponry was also seized from inside the property such as crossbows, knives, axes, machetes, swords, gas powered weapons, airguns and associated ammunition.
LincolnshireWorld+6 Reposted by 6 other sources
Moment man who made ‘assassination kits’ in home factory sets fire to evidence
A large quantity of weaponry was also seized from inside the property such as crossbows, knives, axes, machetes, swords, gas powered weapons, airguns and associated ammunition.
Coverage Details
Total News Sources27
Leaning Left2Leaning Right0Center16Last UpdatedBias Distribution89% Center
Bias Distribution
- 89% of the sources are Center
89% Center
11%
C 89%
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