Soldiers to be Charged with Gun-Smuggling

[ORAC]

BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/6043802.stm): Soldiers in gun-smuggling inquiry

Nine soldiers are to be prosecuted over allegations of smuggling guns out of Iraq to trade for drugs and cash, the MoD) has said. The soldiers are from the newly-formed 3rd Battalion of The Yorkshire Regiment (The Duke of Wellington's Regiment), based in Warminster, Wiltshire.

A hearing at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, on 30 November will decide whether they will face a court-martial. The charges follow a criminal inquiry by the Royal Military Police. The case was then passed to the Army Prosecuting Authority (APA), which has now decided to prosecute. The allegations relate to small arms being brought from Iraq for sale in the UK by infantry soldiers serving in July 2005, an MoD spokesman said......

An MoD spokesman said: "Any section of the Army does not condone illegality. Any allegation is investigated thoroughly and the Army and regiment will assist this process in any way they can."

[cooheed]

Nice to see Op Plunder is as efficient as ever!! :hmm:

[PompeySailor]

BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/6043802.stm): Soldiers in gun-smuggling inquiry

Nine soldiers are to be prosecuted over allegations of smuggling guns out of Iraq to trade for drugs and cash, the MoD) has said. The soldiers are from the newly-formed 3rd Battalion of The Yorkshire Regiment (The Duke of Wellington's Regiment), based in Warminster, Wiltshire.

A hearing at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, on 30 November will decide whether they will face a court-martial. The charges follow a criminal inquiry by the Royal Military Police. The case was then passed to the Army Prosecuting Authority (APA), which has now decided to prosecute. The allegations relate to small arms being brought from Iraq for sale in the UK by infantry soldiers serving in July 2005, an MoD spokesman said......

An MoD spokesman said: "Any section of the Army does not condone illegality. Any allegation is investigated thoroughly and the Army and regiment will assist this process in any way they can."

I know a very, very Senior Naval Officer who liberated an RPG a few years back. I also know a couple of media phots who tried to liberate some 9mms but were grassed up with the RN Phot who's stuff they had been nicking all the way through the campaign. He grassed them to customs - sore bottoms all round, apparently.....I think he mentioned drugs and guns by mistake!

[The Helpful Stacker]

Nice to see Op Plunder is as efficient as ever!! :hmm:

I've heard about 'things' returning from FRY and other HM Forces holiday destinations that'd turn your hair grey.

Its is ridiculously easy to avoid Op Plunder if you so wish to as long as you know certain people who work with a certain sort of kit, although I'll say no more as its also been used for moving less dodgy stuff such as bottles of spirits into Gulf states and large amounts of consumer electronics out.

[movadinkampa747]

I've heard about 'things' returning from FRY and other HM Forces holiday destinations that'd turn your hair grey.


What colour would it turn if it were already grey?

[The Helpful Stacker]

What colour would your turn if it were already grey?

Erm, clear?

[Roadster280]

Its is ridiculously easy to avoid Op Plunder if you so wish to as long as you know certain people who work with a certain sort of kit, although I'll say no more as its also been used for moving less dodgy stuff such as bottles of spirits into Gulf states and large amounts of consumer electronics out.

Many moons ago, I was in the TA Signals. Our brigade had a NATO role, and exercised every two years on the continent. Being Signals, we had a fair amount of "a certain sort of kit", and we used to concentrate it all into one vehicle (a 4 ton box body staff veh) for the ferry moves. Well, our regt recruited from Liverpool & Manchester. Certain less scrupulous members of the regiment were quick to realise that an AWFUL lot of $10 boxes of King Eddies from the PX would fit in said truck that Customs wasn't allowed in. This apparently continued for years, until one year, the Customs chaps stopped the truck with all the "certain sort of kit" in, and were told they couldn't look in the back. Customs produce their "secret weapon", an ex-mil customs officer who had the vetting, and the authorisation paperwork from the MOD! Red faces all round, and some early retirements from the TA!

Odd thing is, I've since seen photos of the "certain sort of kit" freely posted on t'internet.

[The Helpful Stacker]

I'm sure there are many sorts of 'certain sort of kit' in which or with which consignments not intend for customs action can be moved, the sort I'm aware of though can only be opened in very specific places, especially with the large amount of enviromental protection law about these days.

[Roadster280]

I dont suppose Harry Customs Officer gives a monkey's about some squaddie with a couple of cartons of tabs over the limit, but organised bulk smuggling of contraband/live wpns etc is (and rightly so) seen as a no-no.

What I failed to mention in my previous post is that just about every other vehicle in the Brigade (about 600 in a Signals wheeled brigade!) was stacked to the gunwhales with Grolsch, since in those days, Grolsch wasn't imported in any great quantity, leading to the legal scam of:

Buy huge quantity of Grolsch in flip top bottle in Germany (inc crates), paying small deposit. Return to UK. Drink beer. Return crates & bottles to UK supplier, claim deposit, which in UK at that time was more than you had paid for the crates, bottles AND beer!

[movadinkampa747]

Erm, clear?

Ok just for you there does seem to be one way that hair can appear to turn gray in a very short period of time, besides seeing dodgy stuff. What happens is that a condition called "diffuse alopecia areata", no I didnt just make that up, may occur in somebody with a mix of normal and gray hairs.

So you see Alopecia can result in a sudden, and, substantial loss of hair. For unknown reasons it seems to affect mostly pigmented hairs, leaving white ones untouched, amazing :rolleyes: . The impression one gets, therefore, is that the person has become suddenly grey. So maybe if your hair turns grey when you see the customs man approaching it might indicate you have something to hide.:ok:

[cooheed]

I've heard about 'things' returning from FRY and other HM Forces holiday destinations that'd turn your hair grey.

Its is ridiculously easy to avoid Op Plunder if you so wish to as long as you know certain people who work with a certain sort of kit, although I'll say no more as its also been used for moving less dodgy stuff such as bottles of spirits into Gulf states and large amounts of consumer electronics out.

That was my point THS

[The Helpful Stacker]

That was my point THS

Err, yes I did notice. Thanks for the reminder though.....:}

[BellEndBob]

Mate of mine was ADC to a certain AOC back at the time of GW1. Returned to an airbase near London with 'liberated' rifle which was dropped down the aircraft steps. RAFP did not know where to look. :O

[GPMG]

There are thousands of weapons at the bottom of the oggin a few hours sailing out of Plymouth and Portsmouth.

Once the order was sent out that any returning Bootneck, para or pongo returning from the FI with anything other than a trusty SLR would have all leave cancelled. An amnesty was called and many things went 'splosh'.

Next day no personel were searched and some of the lads were gutted that they didnt chance it.