A Polish national has been sentenced to nine years in prison after attempting to smuggle 61 firearms into the UK through the Port of Dover. Eryk Mariusz Kiler, 44, was stopped by Border Force officials on 15 May at inward tourist controls. He claimed he was visiting for a christening, but officers became suspicious and searched his Renault Scenic vehicle.
Inside, they discovered a large haul of self-loading pistols concealed in the flooring voids. The National Crime Agency (NCA) launched an investigation, which revealed that the weapons were likely destined for serious organised crime gangs operating across the country.
Kiler initially denied guilt but later admitted smuggling firearms at Canterbury Crown Court. He was jailed for nine years on Monday afternoon; had he been convicted after trial, he would have faced 14 years.
NCA operations manager Tracey Gasson said: “The NCA and partners at home and abroad do everything possible to fight the threat of the criminal use of firearms. Working together, the NCA and Border Force have prevented a huge number of firearms entering the hands of organised criminals who would not have thought twice about how dangerous they were making our communities.”
Border Force Regional Director David Smith added: “Our officers did an amazing job spotting this – they work hard to keep dangerous weapons off our streets. We're sticking with the NCA to go after serious criminals. Anyone who threatens our border security will face the full force of the law.”
