A firearms supplier has been jailed after arranging the delivery of 12 lethal weapons, asking neighbours to take in his packages to “avoid his mother knowing how much he had been spending on clothes and shoes”.
Tyrelle Mack, 27, from Luton, was sentenced to 13 years on Friday 24 January, at Luton Crown Court.
Tyrelle Mack
The National Crime Agency’s investigation commenced after two packages from Slovakia and one from the Czech Republic, containing a total of four prohibited weapons, were intercepted by Border Force between 2017 and 2018.
One of these parcels was destined for a house in Luton. Officers attended the address in November 2018, but the recipient explained that the parcels were actually owned by her neighbour, Tyrelle Mack.
Mack had lied to his neighbour, stating that he wanted to use her address to prevent his mum finding out how much money he was spending on fashion. He was arrested by the NCA later that month.
Enquiries in Slovakia revealed that the first two firearms identified by Border Force had been purchased by a Slovakian male, who had sold them to an anonymous buyer on a gaming site. His actions did not amount to an offence in Slovakia and the buyer was identified as Mack.
NCA investigators discovered Mack had received nine other suspect packages, containing eight guns and three lots of ammunition, from Ostrava in the Czech Republic.
His customer requests were to “wrap [the contents] up nice please make sure it doesn’t fling around inside the box” and a plea to not include “stickers on the box nothing suggesting where I ordered from”.
Three further unwitting recipients of firearms were interviewed and provided the same story – that they had been asked to take in parcels on behalf of another individual. Two of the three named that individual as Mack.
NCA officers later discovered that Mack had spoken to Ishtiaq Shah, 27, a friend since childhood, at relevant times before and after parcel deliveries. Shah assisted him by collecting and storing the weapons.
Ishtiaq Shah
Shah, of Vestry Close, Luton, was subsequently arrested at his home, where a loaded revolver was seized.
In August 2023, both Mack and Shah were charged with conspiracy to contravene section 170 of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979, and conspiracy to sell or transfer prohibited weapons.
The pair pleaded guilty in February 2024. On 2 August 2023, Shah was sentenced to 18 months suspended. On 24 January 2025, Mack was sentenced to 13 years.
That same day, he was sentenced to an additional six years imprisonment for a firearm offence investigated by the Metropolitan Police, bringing his total sentence to 19 years.
Both Mack and Shah are subject to Serious Crime Prevention Orders, which support the lifetime management of serious criminals and prevent future offending.
Chris Hill, Branch Commander at the National Crime Agency, said:
“Mack and Shah were behind the importation of deadly weapons, which had the potential to inflict serious violence on the streets of the UK, putting members of the public in danger.
“Mack’s ploy also put his neighbours at risk, directly involving them in serious criminality and pointing the finger of suspicion at them.
“Illegal firearms have no place in this country, and the NCA, alongside our partners in policing and Border Force, are committed to combatting their supply, ensuring that the public are kept safe from harm.”
No charges were brought against the people who received the packages.
29 January 2025
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