Bulgarian national Petar Petrov has been sentenced to 12 years in prison in England after attempting to smuggle 54 pistols and 764 rounds of ammunition into the United Kingdom.
The 57-year-old was arrested at the port of Dover only minutes after entering the country in a van he had rented in Europe. Border officers diverted the vehicle for inspection and carried out a scan after noticing irregularities.
A more detailed search uncovered Glock pistols concealed inside two spare tires. Ammunition was also found elsewhere in the passenger compartment, along with two knives and 1,000 euros in cash.
Investigators believe the money was an advance payment for the smuggling operation Petrov had been hired to carry out.
Petrov refused to cooperate with investigators or reveal who was supposed to receive the weapons. The lead investigator told the court that the seizure had deprived an organized crime group of a trusted courier and a shipment worth a substantial amount on the illegal market.
