SEVEN men who ran an elaborate plot to smuggle guns into Leicester from more than 100 miles away have been jailed.

The group transported the weapons from Manchester and London but were foiled after officers from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) were onto their plans.

In August 2020 their crimes came to an end when two members – Ahmad Laher and Kieran Matthews – were stopped by officers in Elstree Avenue, Leicester. A search of the white Mercedes they were using uncovered a sports bag containing four handguns, magazines and ammunition.

It had been established that one man from Leicester – Shyran Christian-Walters – was the intended buyer of the weapons, with the rest of the group acting as brokers and couriers for the deal.

Further enquiries then led to the arrest of five other men.

Mobile phones owned by the group contained messages between them in which they discussed moving the guns and ammunition between the two cities.

They were subsequently charged and prior to a trial taking place, six of the seven pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transfer prohibited weapons and conspiracy to transfer ammunition at Leicester Crown Court.

A seventh man – Toran Considine – pleaded guilty to the charges during the trial.

On Friday (March 11), at the same court, the group were sentenced for their crimes.

• Ahmad Laher, 29, of Oadby, was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment. He was sentenced to eight years for the firearms offences and two years for a separate fraud offence
• Kieran Matthews, 20, of Evington Street, Leicester, was sentenced to a total of 10 years and two months’ imprisonment. He was sentenced to six years and eight months for the firearms offences and three years and six months for other unrelated offences
• Haroon Isseharoon, 30, of St Stephens Road, Leicester, was sentenced to a total of eight years and two months’ imprisonment. He was sentenced to six years and eight months for the firearms offences and 18 months for a separate fraud offence
• Shyron Christian-Walters, 23, of Martin Street, Leicester, was sentenced to a total of eight years and 10 months’ imprisonment. He was sentenced to eight years and four months for the firearms offences and six months for a separate incident
• Hassan Akhter, 25 of Hector Road, Manchester was sentenced to six years and eight months’ imprisonment
• Toran Considine, 18, of Kirkwall Crescent, Leicester, was sentenced to seven years and two months’ imprisonment
• Oreofe Modupe-Ojo, 23, of The Heart Blue, Media City, Salford, was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment.

Detective Inspector Lee Hunt, from EMSOU, said: “By bringing guns into Leicester, there is no doubt that the group were putting the lives of people across the city and county at risk.

“They developed a plan they thought would be fool-proof and that their movements would go unnoticed – but due to information obtained and the dedication, skill and hard work of our officers, we were able to stop them in their tracks.

“I hope the public can take comfort knowing how seriously we take all reports of firearm use – and that a group intent on causing harm and committing criminal offences are now serving prison sentences.

“Our communities are our eyes and ears and I would continue to ask anyone with information or concerns to report such matters to us.”

Information can be passed on by visiting https://www.leics.police.uk/ro/report/