A man who tried to buy a handgun and ammunition at a motorway service station has been locked up for six years.

Montgomery Richard Kyle Byrne, from Bury , set up the dodgy deal on the dark web but was caught out after being foiled by officers from the National Crime Agency’s Armed Operations Unit.

The 31-year-old was arrested at Stafford Services on the M6 in August 2015 as he attempted to hand over £1,300 cash for a live fire Glock 9mm self loading pistol and 300 rounds of ammunition that he’d bought online.

The agency say Byrne had also tried to buy an AK47 assault rifle from the same website.

When officers searched his home, they found a Smitt Ruben sniper/hunting rifle, as well as a sawn off shotgun, revolver and more than 200 rounds of ammunition, cartridges and bullets.

They also seized an ammunition press, firearms powder, bullet heads and percussion caps – all components for producing ammunition that could be discharged by the various weapons.

Byrne has been jailed for six years at Birmingham Crown Court after pleading guilty to nine firearms offences including possessing a bolt action rifle and a quantity of cartridges with bullets designed to explode on or immediately before contact.

Brent Lyon from the NCA’s Armed Operations Unit said Byrne was caught out after leaving behind a digital footprint.

He said: “Byrne does not have any identifiable links to organised crime or terrorism but the weapons he was attempting to buy and the ones he already possessed could have caused significant harm.

“If you buy guns on the dark web you leave a digital footprint – and the NCA will do everything it can to identify you and hold you to account.”

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