First picture of South London smuggler who tried to import gun from Florida using fake name

A South London man has been jailed for attempting to import a handgun from the USA, as well as half a kilo of cocaine. Messages between the individual and a fellow drug dealer revealed the pair had ordered the contraband from abroad.

McNeil Colly, 48, from Streatham was tried alongside asylum seeker Keston Redhead, 35, from Trinidad and Tobago. The pair were found guilty of importing a firearm and conspiracy to import class A drugs at Kingston Crown Court today (Thursday, January 23).

The court heard that Border Force officers at Stansted Airport had found a Taurus self-loading pistol alongside two empty 9mm magazines on July 27, 2023. An investigation from the National Crime Agency (NCA) found that the pistol was intended to be delivered to a derelict South London property, with a fictional name on the shipping address.

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The package was reportedly delivered from Florida. NCA officers found that the item was being tracked by Colly's IP address, which was linked to his Streatham home.

The pair were arrested five days after the gun was seized when the men went to meet a delivery driver to collect a parcel. Police found half a kilo of cocaine hidden in the confiscated parcel, which was said to have been imported from Trinidad.

Messages on the pair's phones indicated both men were involved in importing the handgun and drugs, with pictures being exchanged of firearms and vacuum-sealed blocks of cocaine. Evidence of overseas money transfers was also found, as well as the container and shipping label for the imported handgun.

A search at Colly's flat following the arrest also led to a samurai sword, machete and crossbow being found in his bedroom. Eight kilos of cannabis and other pieces of drug supply equipment were also seized, including a weighing scales.

The men were each sentenced to 17 years of imprisonment. Colly had also pled guilty to possession of cannabis with intent to supply at an earlier hearing. Redhead will be deported after serving his sentence.

NCA Senior Investigating Officer Chris Hill said: "Colly and Redhead conspired to import harmful drugs and a self-loading pistol into the UK, using false names and delivery addresses in their attempt to evade detection."

He added: "Our successful investigation has resulted in the seizure of a deadly firearm and class A drugs, and the imprisonment of two organised criminals. The impact of gun and drug crime on our communities is devastating. We are committed to stopping the availability of lethal weapons to the criminal underworld and intercepting drugs before they reach street-level dealers."

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