North London gang brought down after suspect caught with handgun and lock knife at Luton Parkway station

An organised crime gang was dismantled by police after one member was caught with a handgun at Luton Parkway station. Tyrell McKoy also had ammunition and a lock knife hidden in a white sports sock when he was met by armed officers from Herts and Beds police, acting on behalf of the Met in response to a long-established feud that nearly killed a two-year-old.

A surveillance operation suggested McKoy had picked up a bag containing the gun from another suspected gang associate earlier that morning, before making his way to the railway station. When the gunrunner was stopped, police discovered a black handgun, ammo, and a lock knife tucked into a sock. A photo from a body-worn camera shows the moment McKoy was put in handcuffs.

The arrest was not the end of the investigation though. Police then reviewed hundreds of hours of CCTV and combed through mobile phone data. Through this, they were able to prove a connection between McKoy and four other gang affiliates. DNA from a plastic bag wrapped around the handgun matched with one of these men. All were arrested, charged, and sentenced.

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The operation was part of a response to a 2020 shooting when a woman and her two-year-old child were fired at while sat in a car. The bullet which hit the toddler missed a crucial artery by just 1mm, which could have been fatal.

Police believe the shooting was part of a long-established feud between organised crime groups in North London, responsible for murders going back more than a decade.

This was the catalyst for a major operation across North West London to target those using guns. In the last four years, since the operation began, there have been no fatal shootings in the area, more than 50 lethal firearms have been recovered, and there have been 64 convictions with 367 years in jail. Police have also seized over 110kg in Class A drugs.

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