Four south Essex men have been jailed for their roles in the supply of guns and ammunition.

Inn total seven men were sent to prison for more than 60 years’ at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday after an operation by police to crack down on guns and crime across London and Essex.

The operation to investigate the activities of the organised crime group (OCG) ran for ten weeks with several hundred policing hours spent on surveillance and arrest phases.

Specialist officers took part in 12 armed deployments; this included Met armed surveillance officers with additional support from Essex Police’s Armed Response Units.

Stephen Donkor, 45, of Seally Road, Grays, Essex was sentenced to 15 years’ in prison for conspiring to sell prohibited weapons and ammunition.

Malacai Yexley, 26, from Langdon Hills, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years' in jail after pleading guilty to selling a prohibited weapon, a .32 calibre pistol and 18 rounds of matching ammunition.

David Heal, 57, from Southend, was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment after pleading guilty to selling a prohibited weapon, a .32 calibre pistol and 18 rounds of matching ammunition and possessing a prohibited weapon, a .22 calibre pistol and matching ammunition.

George Clark-Chesaites, 33, of Laindon, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years' imprisonment after selling a prohibited weapon, a .32 calibre pistol and 18 rounds of matching ammunition.

Gazette:

Daniel Ngoo, 30, from the Newham area was sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment for conspiring to sell prohibited weapons and ammunition.

The court heard how Ngoo had a leading role in the overall criminal enterprise, dealing the weapons. He used Donkor to source the weapons and to agree the prices with customers.

Detective Superintendent Simon Moring, from Central Specialist Crime, said: “This is an excellent example of collaborative working between the Met, Essex Police and the Crown Prosecution Service. The convictions and removal of these firearms from circulation shows the continued aim of the Met to protect the public from harm."

Donkor was Ngoo’s main lieutenant and facilitator in the day to day running of the operation. He played a key role in the organisation, acting as a conduit between criminals wishing to buy and sell firearms and ammunition.

Gazette:

Donkor oversaw all of the following firearms trades. He was paid a cut of the sale price of the guns in return for his involvement. His principal role was to be ‘hands on’ with the firearms during deals thereby allowing Ngoo to keep his distance from them if anything went wrong.

Aaron John-Baptiste, 33, of Hitchin, Hertfordshire was sentenced to five years and three months' imprisonment after selling a prohibited weapon, a .45 calibre revolver on 5 February 2021.

Damian Meade, 34, from Bow, London was sentenced to five years and four months' imprisonment after selling a prohibited weapon, a .45 calibre revolver on 5 February 2021.