Stopping imports of firearms through collaboration

ACC Tim Metcalfe is NPCC Lead for the Criminal Use of Firearms. He reflects on the progress made by the portfolio and its members in recent months...

My first reflection is on how genuinely collaborative the portfolio feels; it’s a great example of how multi-agency partners can come together to genuinely and tangibly reduce threat, risk and harm to the public. Colleagues from NCA, Home Office and NABIS head up a collaboration of regions, forces and other key stakeholders, including Border Force and Ministry of Defence colleagues, to effect a genuine and impactful system response – with global reach - which has led to a suppression of the overall threat we collectively face.

The portfolio is well supported by regional leads from within policing who ensure we are serving those on the front line, enabling them to effectively pursue and prosecute the procurement, conversion and use of firearms by criminals.

This collaborative mind-set closed a 5-year national s.5 Crime and Courts Act Tasking by establishing Regional Assurance Process that has reduced both the Submissions Lag[1] and Recovery Gap[2] around submission of ballistic material use in crime to NABIS. In 2022 the Submissions Lag was 58% and Recovery Gap was 47%; it is now 7% and 5% respectively.

The most pressing (and lethal) challenge faced by the law enforcement community is the conversion of blank-firing pistols to lethal weapons[3]. The system’s desire to meet this challenge is a good example of joint working to protect the public.

Under Project SERGEANCY, working with the Home Office, Border Force and representatives of police forces across the UK, the NCA recently completed forensic examination of multiple examples of brands of top-venting blank firearms.

Evidence obtained supports the view that the examples tested, and the wider range of models they supply using the same construction methods, are readily convertible into lethal-barrelled weapons within the meaning of section 1(6) of the Firearms Act 1982, meaning they are prohibited firearms under that legislation.

Subsequently:

• Importers were informed of the results and agreed to cease imports.
• Border Force have prevented any further deliveries to turn off the supply tap.
• An ongoing communications campaign will inform the public of the status of the weapons.
• A NABIS led amnesty of all relevant weapons will take effect from 3rd February 2025.

We expect this strategy to significantly reduce the threat posed by such weapons.

With the continued commitment of our stakeholders, we will continue to engage proactively and collaboratively with the threats posed by the criminal use of firearms.

[1] The Submissions Lag is the time delay between the incident date a firearm or ballistic material was recovered by Police Forces, and the point at which the firearm or ballistic material is received by NABIS for examination.

[2] The Recovery Gap represents the difference between the number of relevant firearms discharges recorded on Crimsec30 and the number of incidents with ballistic material submitted to NABIS.

[3] The 2024 NABIS Annual Strategic Assessment concluded that “it is highly likely that the majority of future gun enabled violence will be facilitated by converted TVBF pistols”.

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