How a taxi being pulled over by police led to the discovery of lethal ‘weapons factory’

West Midlands Police[1] have revealed how a simple taxi stop made by officers in Aston exposed a dangerous city 'weapons factory'. Four men have been jailed for more than 60 years for operating the lethal factory, where they manufactured weapons to sell to criminal gangs across the country. Detectives revealed how the firearms factory was uncovered after they stopped a taxi on Mansfield Road, Aston, on August 10, 2019.

A red carrier bag with firearms and ammunition was discovered, which led to the eventual convictions of all four men. The firearms factory was being operated from a house in Shepherds Way, Erdington[2], where weapons including blank-firing pistols were converted into live weapons to be sold to criminal gangs. At Wolverhampton Crown Court on Monday, December 4, Aaron Anderson, 46, was sentenced to 22 years for conspiracy to supply firearms and conspiracy to supply ammunition.

James Paragon, 29, was sentenced to 10 years for conspiracy to supply firearms and conspiracy to supply ammunition. Both had been found guilty following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court.[4]

Reuben Keay, 28, had been jailed for 22 years back in April this year after being convicted of conspiracy to supply firearms and conspiracy to supply ammunition following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court.

Eric Kitson had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply firearms and conspiracy to supply ammunition back in 2019 and was jailed at Stafford Crown Court in April for seven-and-a-half years.

Revealing how they exposed the firearms factory, West Midlands Police said: "We stopped a taxi on Mansfield Road, Aston, on August 10, 2019. We watched Keay leave his home and walk to the Shepherds Way address. "A short time later he left with a red carrier bag and walked back to his home address in Curlews Close.

He then got into the rear of the taxi and left the bag on the back seat before getting out of the taxi a short time later. "We stopped the taxi and inside was Paragon. A red carrier bag was on the rear seat which contained firearms and ammunition.

Paragon was arrested and taken into custody. Officers then carried out a warrant in Shepherds Way, Erdington, where Anderson lived and arrested him.

"We seized bags containing boxes of live and blank ammunition, booklets for firearms, a 'gun case' with no firearm but component parts and a bag containing a broken down blank firing pistol.

The 'set up' had all the equipment and materials required to convert blank firing weapons and construct homemade ammunition." Police explained that as a result of the weapons and ammunition being recovered this enabled the National Ballistics Intelligence Service to identify and link the items and the equipment recovered from Shepherds Way to eight additional recoveries of weapons and ammunition from other areas of Birmingham, Oxford and addresses in the Hampshire area.

Four men jailed for more than 60 years

The force spokesperson added: "The weapons and ammunition were the same type discovered at the address in Shepherds Way and proved that the address was being used as a firearms-making factory. Kitson's DNA was also found on a gun and ammunition at an address in Bromford, Birmingham, linking him to the weapons conversion factory."

Eric Kitson.

Kitson had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply firearms and conspiracy to supply ammunition back in 2019 and was jailed at Stafford Crown Court in April for seven-and-a-half years. (Image: WMP)

Chief Inspector Peter Cooke, from West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit said: "This was a significant seizure of weapons and ammunition which were being converted at the Erdington address. The four men have been jailed for more than 60 years and this sends out a clear message to criminals that we won't tolerate organised crime in our region. "This is part of our ongoing work to combat organised criminal activity including the manufacture and supply of weapons and ammunition across the West Midlands and this will carry on as part of Operation Target.

Officers discovered guns and ammunition at 'firearms factory' in Birmingham (Image: WMP)

"We're focused on those thought to be involved in the highest levels of organised crime across our region.

Anyone who has any information about organised crime can contact us via Live Chat on our website or by calling us on 101. Alternatively you can ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111." West Midlands Police[5] confirmed the addresses of each defendant to BirminghamLive[6] as: Reuben Keay of Curlews Close, Oscott.

Aaron Anderson, of Shepherds Way, Oscott. James Paragon, of Mansfield Road, Aston. Eric Kitson of Grange Avenue, Ward End.

Stay up to date with the very latest from your Birmingham or West Midlands street or neighbourhood with our Birmingham News[7] Email Updates.[8]

References

1. ^ West Midlands Police (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
2. ^ Erdington (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
3. ^ Woman killed in crash on A442 in Telford as police appeal for footage (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
4. ^ at Birmingham Crown Court. (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
5. ^ West Midlands Police (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
6. ^ to BirminghamLive (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
7. ^ Birmingham News (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
8. ^ Email Updates. (www.birminghammail.co.uk)