Met investigation into illegal gun trade sees two men jailed

Two men have been jailed over their links to the illegal gun trade, following a data-driven investigation by the Met Police.

Eric Aram, 35 (27.12.89), of Hayes, London, appeared before Isleworth Crown Court. He was sentenced to 21 years and 7 months having been convicted of possessing firearms, as well as supplying cannabis.

Mohammed Guetfi, 33 (14.02.92), of Green Lanes, Hackney - an associate of Aram - was sentenced to 14 years and 4 months having pleaded guilty to charges of the same charges as Aram.

Detective Inspector Sam Bennett - who led the investigation - said: "On average, firearms are linked to over a thousand offences on London's streets each year. Many of the guns used are reactivated pistols, converted by criminal gangs and dealers.

"Investigators used extensive digital evidence to bring these two offenders to justice. This meant they were able to secure convictions against both men, despite the fact that no guns were found on the defendants themselves.

"These convictions send out a clear message that the illegal gun trade will not be tolerated in our city."

During a warrant as part of a drugs investigation in April 2023, Specialist Crime officers gained access to a flat in Bayswater where they found a converted blank-firing handgun, stashed in a plastic bag.

Aram's fingerprints were detected on the pistol in a forensic analysis and his address was subsequently raided in November 2023. There, officers recovered a manual and container for the blank-firing pistol, as well as a drill believed to have been used to convert firearms. One-thousand pounds in cash was also found in a vent in his bedroom.

Officers made use of extensive digital evidence to bring Guetfi and Aram to justice. Incriminating text messages were found on a phone belonging to Aram, which revealed him to be a prolific gun and cannabis dealer, who converted and sold multiple firearms on the black market.

Aram was arrested on 7 November 2023 and charged the following day.

The Operation Yamata team, however, identified Guetfi by his mobile phone downloads, and he was subsequently arrested and charged on 4 January 2024.

At the trial, Guetfi was asserted by prosecution to be the “right-hand man” of Aram - a statement which was agreed by the Judge.