Heywood men jailed for role in conspiracy to supply weapons to criminals

Two Heywood men who were part of a conspiracy to supply a sawn-off shotgun and ammunition to criminals have been jailed alongside five others.

Tyrone Keighery-Simons, 23,and Jordan Starkey, 29, were jailed at Manchester Crown Court on Thursday 3 October for six years and five years and six months, respectively.

Keighery-Simons pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply Class B drugs (cannabis), possession of Class A drug (cocaine), conspiracy to transfer a prohibited weapon, and Starkey pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transfer a prohibited weapon.

The prosecution follows Operation Mombassa – a proactive investigation by officers from GMP’s Serious and Organised Crime Group (SOCG).

While under surveillance on Thursday 18 October 2018, Waqas Farooq left his home address in Old Trafford in his Audi A3 and called co-conspirator, Jamal Chambers.

Farooq drove to Clarendon Road, Whalley Range, where he met Chambers, parking behind a VW Golf owned by a third man, Zahid Mahmood, of Old Trafford.

Around the same time, Tariq Kurtis Khaliq, of Urmston, met with Meshach Pinnock at his home address in Cheadle before the pair drove to Middleton.

Meanwhile, Jordan Starkey and Tyrone Keighery-Simons were in Heywood.

A flurry of phone calls were made between the three groups before they all met on Skye Close, Heywood where, at 1.45pm, Keighery-Simons walked towards Waqas Farooq’s Audi A3 and placed a large canvas bag in the passenger side door.

Farooq’s Audi A3 and Mahmood’s Volkswagen Golf then travelled back in tandem to Brooklyn Avenue, Whalley Range.

 

 

At 2.37pm, firearms officers conducted an armed strike on the vehicle, recovering the black holdall which contained a Japanese ‘Singer Nikko’ self-loading shotgun, which had had its barrel and stock shortened.

Digital scales which contained drug traces and £710 cash were also seized from a bag belonging to Farooq.

Chambers attempted to run off toward Egerton Road North but was detained and found in possession of small black Armani man-bag containing heroin, and around £500 cash. He also had a combat knife on his person.

Officers conducted searches at various addresses linked to the conspirators which recovered significant amounts of drugs and cash.

Detective Sergeant Phil Kennedy of GMP’s Serious and Organised Crime Group said: “This was an in-depth investigation that has resulted in a lethal weapon and seven very dangerous individuals being removed from our streets.

“This gun would doubtless have been used to further the criminal aims of those commissioning its use. Seizures of this nature are an invaluable part of our fight against organised criminals.

“I would urge anyone with information about illegal firearms to contact police immediately. Your actions could well help save someone’s life.”