'Merchants of death' gang jailed

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Three men have been jailed for running one of the biggest gun importation rackets in Britain.

They were in a gang who brought weapons from Germany to the UK before modifying them in a factory in Manchester, and selling them to criminals.

Robert Tyrer, 51, was sentenced to 19 years in jail and his brother Jamie Tyrer, 36, was sentenced to five years.

Kenneth Lloyd, 55, was sentenced to 13 years at Manchester Crown Court. All three had admitted firearms offences.

The court heard how the men brought blank-firing guns from Germany into the UK before converting them to fire specially-made ammunition.

'Merchants of death'

Sentencing them, the judge said the gang were "merchants of death".

He said they brought 274 guns from Germany to the UK and that they had enough equipment to make more than 8,000 rounds of ammunition.

Seven different types of weapon were recovered as part of the investigation.

"There was a time when the conspirators hoped to manufacture 200 guns per week," he said.

"They expected or hoped to make a massive profit.

Michael Sammon is still wanted by police"The conspiracy that could be described as the most sinister was to manufacture pen guns, implements that can be described as an assassin's weapon."

The court heard that the guns the men sold had been traced to "two murderous attacks" and two suicides as well as other serious crimes.

Robert Tyrer, of Hyde Road in Gorton, admitted conspiracy to carry firearms for potentially lethal purpose, importing illegal firearms, manufacturing firearms and possessing ammunition.

Kenneth Lloyd, of Stockport Road in Gorton, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to carry firearms for potentially lethal purpose, conspiracy to manufacture firearms and to possess ammunition.

Jamie Tyrer, of Hyde Road in Gorton, admitted conspiracy to import firearms, manufacture firearms and possessing ammunition.

Thomas Ravenscroft, 62, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import firearms and was sentenced to two years, suspended for two years, in his absence, after the court heard he was gravely ill.

David McCulloch, 52, an engineer who provided the expertise needed to convert the guns, is due to be sentenced on 27 November.

The organisation's alleged "paymaster", Michael Sammon, 46, is still wanted by police.