Jailed: Man caught travelling to London with sawn-off shotgun and drugs stash worth thousands

Tyrel Thompson: Caught with shotgun and drugs stash
British Transport Police
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A man caught with a sawn-off shotgun and thousands of pounds worth of cannabis on a train heading towards London has been jailed.

Tyrel Thompson, 20, was attempting to smuggle the illegal weapon and £4,000 worth of the drug with a friend while travelling on a train between Birmingham and London.

Police received an anonymous tip-off just before midnight that two people carrying a gun and a large amount of drugs were travelling on a train on July 26 last year.

After checking several trains, officers eventually caught up with Thompson and his friend Kareem Dawkins, who was 17 at the time.

The teen was found to have a sawn-off shotgun, ammunition and a kilogram of cannabis in his bag.

Kareem Dawkins
British Transport Police

The gun was handed to the National Ballistics Intelligence Service to see if it could be linked to any previous crimes.

During a search of Thompson’s rented room in Kingston Road, Raynes Park, officers found six mobile phones, 100 small snap bags and a set of scales.

Dawkins’ home in St Saviour’s Road, Croydon, was also searched, with officers seizing seven mobile phones containing texts that indicated he was involved in drug dealing.

Caught: The pair were found to be carrying a sawn-off shotgun
British Transport Police

The pair were later charged with possession of a sawn-off shotgun and possession with intent to supply cannabis, with Dawkins admitting the offences.

Thompson denied any involvement but was found guilty following a trial at Northampton Crown Court.

Cannabis: Drugs stash worth thousands of pounds also seized
British Transport Police

He was sentenced yesterday to a total of five and a half years behind bars. Dawkins, who turned 18 last month, will be sentenced at a later date.

Detective Constable Simon Courtney said: “We know Dawkins has links to the Birmingham area and we suspect, from the timing of the tip-off, they had come to the Midlands to collect the gun and drugs before heading back to London.

“We are committed to working closely with other forces and the National Crime Agency to crackdown on dealers who use the rail network to transport drugs across the country, making sure we have the right people in the right place to disrupt their activities.

“We are satisfied with the sentence handed to Thompson, which reflects the serious nature of the crime, and that a dangerous weapon and drugs have been taken off the streets, preventing them from causing misery and harm in our communities.”

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