An Anfield man involved in the importation of a semi-automatic gun and hundreds of rounds of ammunition into the UK has been jailed.
Radek Dobias, 42, formerly of Sunlight Street, Anfield, Liverpool, was stung by a National Crime Agency investigation and has been put behind bars for 12 years and nine months. The sentence was handed down at Manchester Crown Court.
In April 2018, Border Force officers at the port of Dover discovered a Slovakian-made Grand Power Stribog SR9A2 rifle and 465 rounds of ammunition concealed in foam in a van. After the discovery, the van driver said he knew nothing about its contents and had travelled to the Czech Republic to collect a racing buggy for his boss.
READ MORE: Popular landlord with ‘heart of gold’ dies after short illness
When NCA officers recovered the firearm it was found to contain Dobias’s DNA. The former Anfield man was not in the UK at the time but was later tracked down in the Czech Republic.
After serving a four-year sentence for unrelated theft, criminal damage and forgery offences, he flew into Manchester Airport in March 2022. Upon arrival NCA officers were waiting for him and he was arrested.
The NCA confirmed Dobias was charged with attempting to import a firearm and ammunition. He pleaded guilty at Manchester Crown Court on 30 November last year.
Dobias’s criminal associate, Marek Platko, 32, of Pinehurst Road, Anfield, Liverpool, was arrested at Liverpool John Lennon Airport two days after the seizure as he flew in from Prague. He was convicted of importing a firearm and ammunition by a jury at Canterbury Crown Court in December 2018 and sentenced to 22 years imprisonment. The van driver was cleared of the same charge.
NCA Branch Commander Mark Howes said: “Radek Dobias played an integral role in this importation attempt, with evidence showing he handled the gun and ammunition personally. These items had the potential to cause serious injury and death, and the group had imported enough ammunition to do untold damage if used on the streets.
“Tackling the criminal trade in firearms is a priority for the NCA, and we work closely with Border Force and international partners to disrupt their flow into the UK.”
Get the top stories straight to your inbox by signing up to our what's on newsletter
READ NEXT:
Thomas Cashman murder trial resumes as man accused of shooting schoolgirl Olivia Pratt-Korbel
Updates as armed police close road and warn people to stay inside their homes
Mum 'scared' for eight children as family face being evicted
Two arrested as armed police shut down street and surround home
Mum shed five stone and dumped husband after realisation on girls' holiday
