British Man Charged For Smuggling 80K Guns & 32M Rounds Of Ammunition To Nigeria

«§» 20 October 2012

A 42-year-old British arms dealer who is accused of smuggling 80,000 guns and 32 million rounds of ammunition worth £840,000 from China to Nigeria has dismissed the allegations as ‘ludicrous’.



Gary Hyde, of Newton on Derwent, East Yorkshire, allegedly smuggled 40,000 AK47 assault rifles, 30,000 other rifles, 10,000 9mm pistols and the ammunition across the world in 2007.

The York-based businessman – a former director of UK companies York Guns and Jago Ltd – is said to have organised the trade and transportation of the weapons in contravention of UK arms laws.

But this is the second time Hyde has faced the accusations and he continues to refute the charges, with his barrister telling Southwark Crown Court that the allegations are ‘completely ridiculous’.

‘The idea Mr Hyde sat down and made a decision to breach this law willy-nilly, knowing full well the consequences, is, we suggest, ludicrous’, Stephen Solley QC, defending, told the court.

‘Mr Hyde is a legitimate businessman, and to suggest he had a cavalier, couldn’t care less approach and is going to go ahead regardless we suggest that was simply not the picture.

‘The idea you could be sure this man put two fingers up to the criminal law knowingly is completely ridiculous.’

However, prosecutors say Hyde failed to obtain the correct export licence, and a record of flights in 2006 and 2007 to China when the sales allegedly happened has been put before the jury.

But Mr Solley said prosecutors had not given a complete picture of Hyde’s travel, missing out several overseas trips not seen as relevant but gave a fuller picture of his working life.

Some people think there is a glamour to international travel,’ he told the court.

‘But the glamour wears off pretty quickly. What a struggle it must have been to keep up all the various components of his life, his English business, and his international business.’

Mr Solley told the court Hyde was working for one of the largest arms-dealing firms in the north east of England, juggling international deals, a domestic business, and his family life.

He also pointed to 38 other potential deals with China which were being negotiated at the time the alleged crimes took place.

Hyde, who has been trading in arms and dealing regularly with government departments for 20 years, gave a prepared statement protesting his innocence when brought in for questioning.

‘I do not believe that I engaged in any activity in the UK which I understood to require a licence but where instead I decided to ignore that obligation,’ he said. ‘Apart from a couple of administration errors, I have always been compliant.’

Mr Solley also warned the jury not to think badly of Hyde because of his profession.

‘There’s nothing wrong with arms dealing’, he said. ‘This was nation state to nation state sale and purchase, between the government of China and the government of Nigeria.

It was not to some ramshackle gang somewhere – it was government to government arms sales.’

Hyde has pleaded not guilty to smuggling the 80,000 guns and 32million rounds of ammunition.

A previous trial into the charges against Hyde was abandoned, the jury was told.

Hyde denied two counts of becoming knowingly concerned in the movement of controlled goods between March 2006, and December 2007. He also denied one count of concealing criminal property between March 2006, and December 2008.

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Posted: at 20-10-2012 07:13 AM (11 years ago) | Hero

Na today? very soon their government will come & get him released through the back doors. Where are the Iranians that imported containers of arms & ammunition into the country in 2010? Have you heard anything about them since then? I'm really sorry for this country. Innocent people are dying on a daily bases from arms like this yet, these merchants of death got rewarded with vip release, but if a Nigeria commits a minor offence in their country, they punish him/her beyond what their law stipulates. Tomorrow is sunday more bombs in our churches, police & Army barracks, schools & colleges. SHAME

Posted: at 20-10-2012 07:51 AM (11 years ago) | Upcoming

Boko haram

Posted: at 20-10-2012 09:02 AM (11 years ago) | Hero

I have wondering how gun cums into dis country. Dat big head baboon is d one increasing d violent in my country and d outside world ard tagging us wit bad name.

Posted: at 20-10-2012 11:57 AM (11 years ago) | Addicted Hero

 

Posted: at 20-10-2012 03:12 PM (11 years ago) | Hero

ok na now una know

Posted: at 20-10-2012 09:09 PM (11 years ago) | Hero

 

Posted: at 20-10-2012 10:09 PM (11 years ago) | Addicted Hero

na there plan to destroy naija

Posted: at 20-10-2012 11:13 PM (11 years ago) | Gistmaniac

DEY GO USE BIG BIG GRAMMER COVER THE WHOLE THING...THEN CASE CLOSE.

Posted: at 21-10-2012 12:00 AM (11 years ago) | Upcoming

SO NA THIS MAN DEY BOMB US ALL THESE WHILE WEY WE DEY CALL BOKO HARAM? WHY WILL HE NOT TAKE THESE phyukING THINGS TO HIS OWN COUNTRY? MR PRESIDENT TAKE NOTE, MAKE SURE THIS MAN IS TREATED LIKE PEOPLE AT GUANTANAMO BAY DETENTION CAMP IN CUBA, IF THIS MAN GOES FREE, GOD WILL PUNISH ALL OF U, AND ONE DAY A GOOD PRESIDENT WILL COME UP, AND WHOEVER FREED THIS MAN CAN HE KILL, COS ITS LIKE CATCHING BIN LADIN AND LETTING HIM GO, THIS MAN IS WORSTER THAN BOKO HARAM, THIS MAN IS THEIR MEANS OF SUPPLY, GET HIM AND U GET BOKO HARAM, FREE HIM FACE BOKO HARAM,

Posted: at 21-10-2012 12:02 AM (11 years ago) | Gistmaniac