Man charged with firearms offences after Dover counter-terror police arrest | UK news

A 24-year-old man accused of trying to smuggle 10 guns and ammunition from the ferry to England from Dover was detained.

Khalid Ahmed, a dual Dutch and Irish national from Ealing in west London, appeared at Westminster magistrates’ court on Wednesday after being charged with firearms offenses overnight.

He was stopped by counter-terrorism police in Dover after arriving in the UK from France last Thursday, and when officers searched his car it was alleged that 10 self-loading pistols and ammunition were found hidden behind the seats.

Some of the guns were said to be loaded, the court heard.

Ahmed, an Amsterdam-born construction worker, appeared for a brief hearing before district judge Daniel Sternberg on Wednesday morning.

He pleaded no contest to 10 charges of possessing a prohibited weapon and one count of possessing ammunition and was remanded in custody until a hearing at the Old Bailey on 24 April.

When the charges were announced, Major Helen Flanagan, head of counter-terrorism policing in London, said: “We appreciate that this news may be of interest to the public, but we have been carrying out a number of investigations since this arrest took place and to date we have not identified any imminent threat to the public in relation to this.

“Given that the man has been charged, it is important that there is no further speculation about the case while criminal proceedings are ongoing. However, I can reassure the public that our investigation is ongoing to ensure the safety of the public.”