A MAN from Co. Down who posted guns to himself from the United States — including an AR-15 assault rifle — has been sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for 12 months.
William McMullan, 66, of Loughdoo Road in Newtownards, appeared before Downpatrick Crown Court on Thursday where he pleaded guilty to firearms importation offences.
Following his sentencing the following day, National Crime Agency (NCA) Belfast Branch Commander David Cunningham said: "These firearms could have caused mass casualties in the wrong hands."
Holiday
The agency were alerted after Border Force officers at Coventry International Postal Hub detected parts of an automatic weapon, along with parts of a revolver and a self-loading pistol, in two separate packages.
McMullan was arrested by NCA officers at his home address in November 2019, after which he admitted buying an AR-15 assault rifle and two handguns while he was on holiday in the US.
He then broke down the weapons and mailed them back to his address in Northern Ireland.
'Deadly weapons'
Mr Cunningham described McMullan's actions as 'foolish in the extreme'.
"The AR-15 in particular is a military-style rifle, of the type known to have been used in a number of high-profile mass-shootings in the United States," he said.
"There is no place for deadly weapons like these in Northern Ireland.
"These were serious offences, and McMullan was foolish in the extreme to think he could get away with it.
"We work closely with our colleagues at Border Force to protect the public by preventing illegal firearms reaching our streets."
Phillip Holliday, Regional Director of Border Force Central, said: "Border Force are committed to stopping firearms from entering the country illegally, where they fuel organised criminal gangs and ruin lives.
"We will continue to work tirelessly to keep the public safe and our borders secure."
