Men in court after guns found in Midlothian

22 May 2019, 12:23

Two men have appeared in court after a number of weapons were seized in Midlothian on Friday, 17th May.

Properties in High Street and Arbuthnot Road in Loanhead were searched with Five handguns, five unregistered air rifles and over forty bladed items, including martial arts weaponry and a machete, among the items seized.

The men arrested, aged 45, were charged in connection with this and held in custody to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

Detective Chief Inspector Graeme Naysmith of the OCP said:

"Through effective intelligence-sharing between a number of agencies, a variety of dangerous and potentially lethal weaponry has been removed from within the community.

"The OCP continues to see significant successes and has seized over a dozen prohibited weapons, including firearms or weapons which could be converted to firearms, since our establishment in September 2018.

"These robust efforts to tackle serious and organised crime will continue and I want to reassure the public that we remain committed to ensuring that those involved in such criminality face justice."

NCA Scotland branch commander, Ian Thomas, said:

"The nature and scale of organised crime is becoming ever more complex, with criminal networks reaching across regional, national and international borders.

"Disrupting the supply of criminal firearms is a priority for the NCA and our partners, and this operation is an example of that in action.

"Working as part of the Organised Crime Partnership, NCA officers are on the frontline protecting the people of Scotland from the types of weapons seized here and the violence they can inflict."

Anyone with information or concerns about organised crime should contact Police Scotland via 101, or report information anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.