Two people arrested and charged with firearm offences by The County Lines Taskforce

We have charged two men with firearms offences after the County Lines Taskforce arrested a man from an address in West Mercia and another man from a car in Birmingham. A 28-year-old man was arrested from an address in Cofton Hackett on Wednesday (20 Dec) on suspicion of firearms offences. Four suspected firearms were recovered along with tools and equipment suspected of being used to convert blank firing weapons into live viable firearms.

A large amount of cash was also recovered. Another man, a 25-year-old, was arrested from a car in Kings Norton yesterday after we received information which suggested an individual was involved in the sale of firearms. The 28-year-old man from Cofton Hackett, was charged with three counts of possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition and attempting to manufacture a prohibited weapon.

A 25-year-old man was charged with conspiracy to possession of a prohibited weapon. Both men were remanded to appear at Birmingham Magistrates Court today (22 Dec). The arrests come after The County Lines Taskforce carried out enquiries during a proactive operation into possession and conversion of replica to viable firearms.

Operation Target sees West Midlands Police taking a defiant stand against a range of serious and organised crime offences - from gun crime and drug dealing to cyber-crime and fraud.

Officers will be using local intelligence, seizing goods, carrying out warrants and targeting offenders as part of Op Target's ongoing crackdown against serious and organised crime.