Five members of a criminal network that converted blank-firing weapons into lethal firearms inside a caravan in Essex have been jailed for a combined total of nearly 50 years. The gang supplied weapons onto the streets of London before police intervened, uncovering an operation linked to explosives, ammunition and extremist material.
Investigation and arrests
The investigation began when officers connected Faisal Razzaq, 44, to a firearm found in a vehicle heading to the Notting Hill Carnival in 2024. Razzaq had been under surveillance after his release from prison for the manslaughter of PC Sharon Beshenivsky in 2005.
Detectives traced the gun back to a caravan workshop run by gang leader Thomas Mckenna, 60, at Buckles Lane, South Ockendon. A warrant executed in November 2024 revealed a lathe, drill and equipment used to transform blank-firing weapons into operational firearms, along with ammunition, improvised explosive devices and extremist material. More than 100 items were seized by officers.
Sentences handed down
At a sentencing hearing in February, Mckenna was imprisoned for 16 years after admitting to multiple firearms offences. He also confessed to manufacturing explosives and possessing a collection of terrorist material.
His partner Tina Smith, 55, also of Buckles Lane, South Ockendon, was handed six years' imprisonment. She admitted to possessing a firearm, making explosives and having a collection of terrorist material.
Neighbour Ricky Dorey, 43, of Buckles Lane, South Ockendon, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sell or transfer prohibited firearms and received a ten-year prison sentence. His brother Robert Dorey, 44, of Tilbury, Essex, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sell or transfer prohibited firearms and was handed an eight-year custodial sentence. Tammy Rigg, 39, of Peartree Close, South Ockendon, pleaded guilty to possession of a prohibited firearm and possession of ammunition without a certificate, receiving a five-year prison term.
Police response
Detective Inspector Andy Durham, from the Met's Specialist Crime Command, said: "By dismantling the entire network, from those converting the weapons to those distributing and storing them, we have prevented a significant number of illegal firearms from reaching the public."
He added: "The Met continues to intensify its work to drive down firearms offences and take weapons off the streets. Last year alone, officers seized 676 firearms, a 75 per cent increase on 2024. Our teams will continue to relentlessly target anyone involved in gun crime." All five members were sentenced at Harrow Crown Court.
