Two gang members halted by police in a dramatic armed swoop outside a shopping centre in Glasgow are behind bars.
A third member snared at an Airbnb in Springfield Gardens was caught with two pistols and live ammunition, but claimed he was in the city for a painting and decorating job.
Richard Carty, 38, from Salford, Manchester, Ezekial Aremu, 21, and Cade Johnson, 21, from Prestwich, Bury, all admitted their part in a conspiracy to become involved in a serious organised crime in the city in March this year.
Speaking at the High Court in Glasgow today, prosecutor Murdo McTaggart said: “The evidence in this case shows that the Carty and Aremu were involved in the planning and preparation for a serious crime involving the use of a firearm with live ammunition.
“Aremu's position is that he was not going to be involved in the ultimate use of the weapons.
“Johnson was involved in the planning and preparation for a serious crime, although it is accepted he was not aware of the presence of the firearms.”
The court heard that a massive police operation began with police monitoring the movements of the three.
It was noted that they all stayed at the Airbnb from March 7 into March 8.
Aremu and Johnston and another man were stopped by armed police as they drove a grey Mercedes car along East Wellington Street near the Forge shopping centre at around midday on March 8.
The occupants were removed from the car at gunpoint and detained. The car contained a balaclava in the passenger footwell, £1,000 of counterfeit £20 notes in the glove boxes and two cans full of petrol were in the boot.
Armed police went to the flat in Springfield Gardens where they found Carty at around 3pm that day.
He was asked if there were any firearms and replied: “There is maybe something in a bag in there.”
In the bedroom police found a holdall which contained a Luger pistol and six live cartridges and parts of a Glock pistol.
Also found were Royal Mail uniforms and bags and Glasgow City Council hi-vis vests.
Carty's DNA and Aremu's fingerprints and were found on the holdall and on a box that had been specially adapted to hold a gun.
Prosecutor McTaggart said: “In one of the Royal Mail bags was a cardboard box addressed to a vets practice at the Forge Retail Park in Glasgow.
“The box had been adapted so that a handgun could be concealed in and readily accessed from it.”
He added: “The target or targets have not been identified by the police, but the serious crime intended must have involved the use of disguises – a postman and a Glasgow City employee – with the intention of evading security of avoiding suspicion, to enable a place or person to be approached without suspicion.”
Judge Lord Arthurson deferred sentence on all three until December for background reports and remanded them in custody.
Defence counsel will give their pleas in mitigation then.
