PH Lithuanian gun runners jailed for trying to smuggle haul of firearms into Britain

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Aivaras Vysniauskas, 33, and Gytis Vysniauskas, 46, who are not related, were caught by Border Force officers with ten Russian handguns and ten silencers - as well as 100 rounds of ammunition. The men were bringing the guns into the UK stuffed into a purpose-built compartment wrapped around the transmission housing of their Peugeot. The pair were stopped at Dover, Kent, on 6 March, 2016. Aivaras, who was driving, said he had been living in Great Yarmouth before returning to Lithuania and had bought the car himself.

PH The runners car had a specially built concealment area

This case is testament to the tireless work of Border Force Dave Hutchinson

His passenger denied any knowledge of the weapons despite his DNA being found on them. National Crime Agency experts found the guns had been modified to fire 9mm ammunition, the barrels had been threaded to fit a silencer and their serial numbers had been taken off. Debbie Cook, Dover operations manager for the NCA, said: "Aivaras and Gytis Vysniauskas were gun runners working for a criminal network, and our investigation into the wider network around them continues at home and overseas. "These lethal weapons were destined for the criminal marketplace where they would have had the potential to do untold damage.

PH The men were both arrested and now have both been jailed

PH Silencers were also being transported in the haul

"Thankfully, working with Border Force we have managed to stop them reaching the streets of the UK and protected the public." Aivaras admitted importing the firearms at a hearing in April 2016, but Gytis continued to deny involvement. He was found guilty of the same offence on Tuesday at Canterbury Crown Court. Today the younger man was jailed for ten years while the elder man was jailed for 15.

NC The officers also found 100 rounds of 9mm ammunition

PH Officers discovered ten Russian-made Baikal handguns, ten silencers and ammunition