Sawn-off shotgun pair are locked up

Yasir Nassir, aged 45, from Moncrieffe Street, and Kuldipinsigh Atwal, 49, from Stafford Street, have been locked up for seven and eight years respectively for possessing firearms.

The pair were in a Citroen C3 car being driven by Nassir when they were pulled over by West Midlands Police officers at around 5am on September 10 on Newtown Row in Birmingham city centre.

The officers spotted shotgun cartridges in the rear seat footwell of the vehicle and a search of the car uncovered two short-barrelled firearms, plus a starter pistol, hidden under the seats. The pair were arrested.

Subsequent searches of Nassir’s home uncovered another shotgun, a silencer, two air rifles, pellets and blank 6mm cartridges.

Interviewed

Both men were interviewed about the guns that were found in the home and in the Citroen but denied any knowledge, refusing to answer any questions from officers.

However, Nassir eventually went on to admit possessing firearms, while Atwal was found guilty on the same offences at Birmingham Court Court last week.

West Midlands Police Detective Inspector Vanessa Eyles said the tough sentences should act as a warning to anyone possessing illegal firearms.

She said: “This was a great piece of police work: Intelligence suggested that the car was linked to firearms and the information proved spot on.

“Firearms officers did a brilliant job in safely stopping the car, arresting the man and securing the weapons.

“Atwal and Nassir tried to distance themselves from the weapons but that’s not easy when you’re driving around in a car in the early hours of the morning with them at your feet.

“We had no evidence these shotguns had been fired in anger but possession alone leaves offenders facing many years behind bars,” she added.

“This result is a strong message to the criminal fraternity that holding illegal weapons will be dealt with severely by us and also the courts.”

Both men have previous convictions for violent offences, the court was told.

Atwal was convicted back in 2011 at Wolverhampton Crown Court for robbery and was jailed for three years.

Nassir was given a four-and-a-half year sentence, also for robbery, at Lincoln Crown Court in 2010.