Cache of guns, ammunition, gold and cash found in car in Bradford

A 33-YEAR-OLD man has pleaded guilty to minding a deadly cache of weaponry seized by the police from a car parked on a Bradford street.

Masih Ullah is in custody awaiting a long prison sentence after firearms, including a sawn-off shotgun, Smith and Wesson revolver, and part of an Uzi machine gun, were discovered in a Toyota iQ in Sugden Street, Oakenshaw, on March 10.

Police swooped on the locked car after tracking down a blue Ford Focus seen driving off from a commercial cannabis farm at NMR industrial unit in Abel Street, Wyke, Bradford, the previous day.

Ullah, of no fixed address, was arrested in possession of the keys to the Toyota, prosecutor Chloe Hudson told Bradford Crown Court.

He led them to the car that also contained cash, gold, ammunition and a stolen Greater Manchester Police ballistic vest.

Ullah pleaded guilty to production of cannabis, between September 1, 2015, and March 10, 2016.

He also admitted possession of eight and 9mm bullets without a Firearms Certificate, possession of a handgun, handling the stolen police vest, possession of the top part of an Uzi gun, possession of a sawn-off shotgun, possession of a Smith and Wesson revolver, possession of a quantity of 9mm rounds of ammunition and possession of a shotgun.

Ullah's barrister, Yunus Valli, asked for him to be sentenced at his first appearance at the crown court yesterday.

The Recorder of Bradford, Judge Roger Thomas QC, agreed but then decided to adjourn the case until June 17.

"This is a serious case and I am going to have to know more about it," he said.

"Although there are photos of the weaponry, I need more detailed explanation about what it really amounts to."

A police firearms expert will now submit a report to the court describing all the weapons.

Four of the charges Ullah has admitted attract a minimum five year jail sentence.

Miss Hudson said the firearms were discovered after a warrant was issued to search the industrial unit on suspicion of abstraction of electricity.

The building was fortified by two sets of metal shutters behind locked gates.

When remnant of a cannabis farm were found, along with firearms, the police were alerted.

Three cars were seen leaving the scene and Ullah's registration plate was noted.

After his arrest, he said he agreed to mind the cache of firearms for a few days because he was in debt to his cannabis dealers.