London trio jailed for 41 years as police seize firearms and counterfeit cash

Police found around £6000 of fake money and class A drugs

Three men have been jailed after a police bust found guns, thousands of pounds in cash and and class-A drugs.

Darren Lewis, 53 - Alex Findlay, 28 - and Umut Alpergin, 24 - were all found guilty of possession of firearms with intent to endanger life and possession of ammunition.

The trio were sentenced at Croydon Crown Court on Thursday - February 9 -after a three-week trial in May 2022.

Lewis was handed the longest sentence among the trio (Met Police)

At an earlier hearing, Lewis and Findlay pleaded guilty to class A drugs offences, with Findlay also pleading guilty to possession of £5,690 in fake cash.

Lewis - of Norbury Avenue, Croydon - was handed 14 years with an extended license period of three years.

While Findlay - of Knights Hill, Croydon - will serve 18 with a license period of four years and a Serious Crime Prevention Order - SCPO - for five years after his release.

The SCPO will restrict business dealings, work, communication, property and item use, and travel within and out of the UK.

The third convict, Alpergin - of Flempton Road, Hackney - was sentenced to nine years imprisonment for firearms and ammunition charges.

The trio were caught red-handed after armed police raided a property on Norbury Avenue in Thornton Heath on January 26 2021.

During the search, they found two handguns and 34 rounds of ammo in an outbuilding. Lewis, who had keys to the outbuilding, was arrested and charged.

Cops found a handgun ( Met Police)

Forensic evidence on the firearms and the newspaper wrappings inside the outbuilding identified the two further suspects. They too were arrested and charged.

This discovery led investigators to identify a class A drugs conspiracy between Lewis and Findlay which dated back between 2019 and 2021.

( Met Police)

Detective Constable Alex White, the investigating officer, said: “This operation led to the removal of firearms and ammunition from Croydon’s streets and demonstrates the Met’s continued focus on violent crime across London.

“Each firearm seized had the capability of causing fatal injuries and causing devastation to families. Officers from the Specialist Crime Command working in partnership with officers from the local area enables us to identify and pursue those individuals who seek to harm the community.”