Shropshire Star

Oswestry armed raid target admits importing gun

A man has admitted having a firearm and ammunition sent to his home from America.

Published
An armed policeman in Oswestry during the raid that saw Kieran Prime arrested

Kieran Prime, 21, was arrested as part of a joint operation between UK and US authorities looking into the alleged movement of guns.

His flat was at the centre of a raid in which armed police officers brought the centre of Oswestry to a standstill.

Prime, who was arrested in the raid on Queens Flats, was charged with possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life and possessing ammunition without a certificate.

He has now admitted the charges during a hearing at Birmingham Crown Court and will be sentenced on December 14.

The raid came after a joint operation between US Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Postal Inspection Service

The raid happened at about 12.40pm on September 6, and saw undercover police cars mount the pavements in Oswald Road, and armed police marksmen approach the building.

About 10 armed police officers with dogs entered the flats near The Cross, with both plain and uniformed police officers at the scene.

The road was closed for about 30 minutes, and people were told the stay away from the area with armed policeman positioned along Oswald Road.

It was revealed that two people were arrested following the operation, Prime and a 19-year-old woman, who was subsequently released.

Pre-planned

The incident was a pre-planned firearms operation after a parcel bound for Oswestry was found in the US with a gun and ammunition inside.

At the time Detective Chief Inspector Michael Nally, from West Mercia Police, said the raid came after a joint operation between two US agencies - Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Postal Inspection Service.

Special agents in Newark examined a parcel and discovered a concealed firearm and ammunition inside it.

Newark, New Jersey, has a major international airport that serves New York and houses a huge cargo hub.

Investigators from the Regional Organised Crime Unit West Midlands then arranged for the delivery of the package to the address in Oswestry town centre.

DCI Nally said: “We take firearms offences extremely seriously and tackling serious and organised crime remains a priority for West Mercia Police.”

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