Rebel guns seized after desert chase by Midland soldiers

With a 19-year-old Black Country soldier driving one of the four Warrior armoured fighting vehicles, they charged after an insurgent who was making a bid for freedom with a haul of drugs and firearms.

The Quick Reaction Force from a Company of the 3rd Battalion Mercian Regiment – formerly The Staffords – received a tip-off that the suspect was fleeing across the desert in a tractor with trailer.

They rushed 10 miles across rough ground in a race against time from their base at Lashkar Gah Durai – where they are stationed during a tour of duty on the frontline – to cut off his escape route.

They spotted the wanted man after cresting a rise in the ground and raced to surround him in their armoured vehicles, before searching the trailer and finding 200kg of hashish and an arms cache of automatic rifles, a pistol and ammunition.

Express & Star reporter John Scott was in Afghanistan when he learned of the dramatic chase.

Private Callum Noone from Rowley Regis, who was driving one of the Warriors, told the Express and Star today after returning his base following the successful operation: "We quickly got out of the gates as soon as we go the call telling us to search for area for a red tractor.

"We had been given a rough location for where it had last been seen and headed in that direction as fast as possible.

"We were going around 20 mph across rough terrain and it was 15 or 20 minutes before we clocked him after reaching some higher ground." The 19-year-old former pupil of Heathfields Technical College, in Cradley Heath, who signed up with the army in February 2012 and joined 3Mercian eight months later, continued: "He was trying to escape and going as quickly as he could but we boxed him in with the four Warriors and he had nowhere to go.

"The drugs and guns were found hidden in the trailer he was towing.

"I cannot say I was too surprised by the discovery.

"He was obviously up to no good or we would not have been tasked to find him.

"We took him back to our base under escort.

"He was in his tractor with the four Warriors surrounding him. He was not going anywhere but where we wanted him to go. It was one of the most exciting things we have done since we arrived here in September."

The drugs haul was discovered by Private Gavin Davies from Stafford who explained: "I got in the trailer and started rooting around.

"Then I found sack upon sack of drugs.

"It was an incredible amount, like something out of a film."

The search also unearthed two assault rifles and a pistol and Captain Rich, the A Company Battle Captain, revealed: "As soon as we informed the Afghan police what had found they immediately dispatched a senior officer to arrest the individual and confiscate the drugs.

"They realise the damage the sale of drugs does to security in Helmand and have been clamping down on it across the Province."

Sergeant Nicholls, the 28-year-old the Patrol Commander from Solihull added: "They were really excited when we told them about the find.

"They are used to getting tens of kilograms – not 200 all in one go."

Cpt Morgan-Evans concluded: "The Afghan police are really keen to show that they are attacking the drug problem.

"They used to have a bad reputation but are fighting hard to change that perception.

"This find should really help their image."

Starting Monday: Exclusive reports from the front line