Gang made and distributed 'assassination kits' from a back garden near Mansfield

Ronald Knowles, of Milton Avenue, Alfreton, acquired blank firing handguns and ammunition, which he converted into viable firearms at his home address.

Each ‘assassination kit’ was individually packaged containing a handgun, silencer, magazine and ammunition wrapped in latex gloves.

Gary Hardy, of The Birches in Ravenshead, organised and controlled the supply of these ‘Assassination Kits’.

These were then sent to Steven Houston, of Breach Oak Lane, Corley, Warwickshire who supplied these weapons to members of the criminal underworld.

These included known criminal – Jason Hill. Officers raided Hill’s house where they found two handguns, two silencers and ammunition in a safe hidden in the garden.

Officers from Nottinghamshire Police and East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) carried out a lengthy proactive investigation to determine the scale of the operation.

In August 2023, they managed to tie the investigation together and stopped a vehicle at Gallows Lane in Measham.

Inside this vehicle, they found a white box containing four firearms. Each handgun was individually packaged and had with it a silencer, 10 rounds of ammunition in a magazine wrapped in a latex glove.

Detectives believe these were ready to be placed in the hands of criminals and used on their intended targets.

Detectives managed to link these firearms to both Hardy and Knowles, which included the DNA of Knowles on some of the firearms and his fingerprints on the boxes that contained the weapons.

Firearms officers descended onto Knowles property where they found him in his back garden setting fire to evidence.

He dropped a bag to his side containing an unconverted handgun, ammunition, and a throwing star.

In a large outbuilding to the rear of his Milton Avenue address, officers found an array of tools and machinery used for converting blank firing handguns into viable firearms.

A huge quantity of weaponry was also seized from inside Milton Avenue such as crossbows, knives, axes, machetes, swords, gas powered weapons, airguns and associated ammunition.

Knowles pleaded guilty to all offences from the outset at Nottingham Crown Court and Hill also pleaded guilty.

Hardy and Houston were found guilty during the trial, which concluded on Friday 23 May.

They are due to be sentenced in the coming months.

Following a change to the law earlier this year anyone now found in possession of a Turkish manufactured Top Venting Blank Firearm will face prosecution for illegal possession and face up to 10 years imprisonment.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Adas, from Nottinghamshire Police, said: “What we are dealing with here are ruthless individuals that had a complete disregard for human life.

“They were creating, packaging, and distributing firearms that were designed to kill.

“Each ‘Assassins Kit’ was individually packaged containing a viable handgun, silencer, magazine and ammunition.

“Each handgun had been threaded to fit a silencer, which allowed the gun to be used discreetly at close quarters, meaning any potential targets would be lucky to escape with their lives.

“The rounds of ammunition were converted in such a way that upon impact they expanded causing maximum damage to any target.

“They had no idea that we were tracing their every step and ensuring that a solid case was built against them.

“Our team of detectives have now closed arguably one of the biggest firearm factories in the East Midlands and taken a large quantity of firearms off the streets. Evidence revealed at least 33 firearms had been manufactured in Knowles’ factory.

“The full impact of this investigation will never be seen – that’s because we are unable to count the number of lives we may have saved.

“If this operation had continued undetected, the strong likelihood is these weapons would have been used and people would have been killed or seriously harmed.

“To put this into context - considering that each Assassination Kit included 10 rounds of converted ammunition, the seizure of more than 800 blank firing rounds and nearly 800 lead pellets indicates that the group had the potential to supply up to 80 further firearms packages.

“So far, we have identified eight locations across the country where these specific converted firearms or ammunition have been seized.

“These criminals have shown no remorse. They provided no comment in interview and have no care whatsoever for the damage they were willing to inflict on others.

“Their motives are likely to have been financial, providing weapons to criminals who in turn were using them to protect their drug operations.”

Gary Hardy, aged 61, of The Birches, Ravenshead, Nottinghamshire, was found guilty of – Conspired with others to sell or transfer a firearm, conspired with others to have in your possession a firearm with intent by means thereof to endanger life or to enable another person by means thereof to endanger life, conspired with others to convert into a firearm a thing, namely a blank firing firearm

Ronald Knowles, aged 64, of Milton Avenue, Alfreton, Derbyshire, pleaded guilty to – conspired with others to sell or transfer a firearm, conspired with others to have in your possession a firearm with intent by means thereof to endanger life or to enable another person by means thereof to endanger life, conspired with others to convert into a firearm a thing, namely a blank firing firearm

Steven Houston, aged 64, of Breach Oak Lane, Corley, Coventry, was found guilty of – conspired with others to sell or transfer a firearm, conspired with others to have in your possession a firearm with intent by means thereof to endanger life or to enable another person by means thereof to endanger life, conspired with others to convert into a firearm a thing, namely a blank firing firearm

Jason Hill, aged 23, Derby Road, Risley, Derbyshire, was found guilty of – Possession a firearm with intent by means thereof to endanger life or to enable another person by means thereof to endanger life.