An AK-47 and a high-powered machine gun are among a cache of missing weapons being hunted by the Army.
Two Glock handguns – favoured in gangland killings – have also vanished from military bases, sparking fears they could have fallen into the wrong hands.
And hundreds of rounds of ammunition have been nicked by soldiers amid deep concerns they’re being sold to gangs.
READ MORE: Raging OAP threatened drone pilot with gun as he thought sunbathing wife was being filmed
The Daily Star Sunday can reveal police have launched undercover operations to nail gun runners selling parts and ‘ammo’ believed to be stolen from army bases.
A Freedom of Information request to the Ministry of Defence revealed a GPMG (General Purpose Machine Gun) capable of ‘taking down walls’ was stolen last year
Two guns – a Glock 43X and a deactivated AK-47 – were also lost and have yet to be found.
In 2021, two deactivated SA80 assault rifles were stolen while a Glock 17 pistol and another GMPG went missing.
Child killer Thomas Cashman used a Glock when he shot nine-year-old Olivia Prat-Korbell in her home in Liverpool last year.
It’s also been the weapon of choice in several gangland killings in the past few years.
Snarling mugshot of bloke who proudly bragged that he likes to 'kill cops'
Ex-soldier and undercover cop Shay Doyle said the MoD will be concerned about the missing cache of guns.
He said: “Any missing weapon is a security issue for the military.
“A GPMG has belt-fed ammunition and is a serious piece of kit capable of sustained fire and Glock pistols are sought-after firearms among top-level criminal gangs.
“They should also be very concerned about the amounts of ammunition that are stolen to be sold onto the black market, as well as component parts of weapons.
Evacuation plane covered with bullets and leaking fuel as it rescues Brits in Sudan
“It’s not difficult for an OCG to put together several stolen parts until they have a fully working firearm.
“There are a number of crime families in the UK with links to the military so there’s every chance that stolen items are falling into their hands.”
Earlier this month a former royal guardsman was jailed after he was caught selling ammunition to an undercover cop he thought was a gangster.
Coldstream Guard Rajon Graham, 34 was a lance sergeant when he met the officer, selling him 300 9mm bullets he referred to as ‘sweets’.
Keep up to date with all the latest news stories. By signing up for one of Daily Star's free newsletters here.
'Very dangerous' man found with terrorist guide, 'Anarchist's Cookbook' and explosives
The bullets were accessed during firing practice through their roles in the Army.
In 2016, a SA80 rifle stolen from British soldiers on exercise in Kenya was used to murder a Kenyan police chief.
Martin Githinji, 43, was shot repeatedly in the neck and stomach at his homestead at Ichuga village in Nyeri county.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “We take the security of defence assets very seriously and have robust procedures to deter and prevent losses and thefts.
“If any items are reported lost or missing due to suspected criminal activity, we will take the necessary steps to investigate and prosecute.”
READ NEXT:
- OnlyFans model receives £5k from sugar daddy who wanted to pay for her spit
- Geordie Shore star teases racy OnlyFans career as stalkers 'would make her good money'
- Sarah Jayne Dunn says OnlyFans users buy her sexy lingerie for racy photoshoots
- Pornhub legend Mia Khalifa fumes over '3.5-hour traffic' due to death of 'ancient' Queen
Source: Read Full Article
