Elite Cavalry Soldiers Accused Of Smuggling Guns And Cocaine

Four British Army soldiers were involved in smuggling five lethal illegal handguns, silencers, ammo and over £70,000 worth of cocaine via the Channel Tunnel, a court heard yesterday.

Police swooped on two BMW vehicles on January 25, seizing two Walther P99 9mm pistols, three converted BBM pistols, each with their own silencer, seventy-four bullets and 493gms of 74% pure cocaine.

They arrested Lemar Loveless, 26, of 24 Brydon Walk, Kings Cross and 21 year-old Trave Dyce of Sydney Road, Smethwick, Birmingham.

Loveless had quit as a trooper with the Queen's Royal Hussars - based in Sennelager, Germany - just six days before and Dyce, also a trooper, left six days later.

Two months later police arrested Queen's Royal Hussars trooper Lance Laurent, 25, and lance corporal Duran Wright, 28, who serves with the Royal Logistical Corps in Germany.

"Those who use illegal firearms have to get them from somewhere," prosecutor Mr. Steven Perian told the Woolwich Crown Court (pictured) jury, adding their black-market value was up to £18,000.

Loveless; Laurent; Wright and a fifth defendant, civilian Romone Marshalleck, 24, of 95 Huron Road, Tooting Bec have pleaded not guilty to conspiring to import firearms between January 1 and 26.

Dyce has already pleaded guilty to possessing firearms.

The four soldiers have pleaded not guilty to conspiring between January 1 and January 26 to import 493gms of cocaine and Loveless alone denies illegal possession of seventy-four rounds of ammunition.

The court heard all the firearms and cocaine was found in the vehicle driven by Dyce.

"Police found a pair of size eleven boots in the car boot and inside one of them was a grapefruit-sized ball of black duct tape and when opened it contained the high-purity cocaine," said Mr. Perian.

"The tape was impregnated with curry powder, which is used to disguise the smell of class a drugs from sniffer dogs."

All of the handguns and bullets were found stashed underneath the car's front seats, with one of the Walther's wrapped in a white t-shirt and the serial number deliberately worn-off at least one of the BBM's.

The BMW Dyce was driving was registered to Wright, with Loveless following in a vehicle he claimed was his girlfriend's.

Dyce told the officers: "He (Loveless) told me to drive the car and drop it off for payment. He told me their were guns in there."

When quizzed at the scene Loveless simply replied: "What firearms?" and later refused to divulge his Blackberry's PIN.

Dyce replied: "Oh my God" when police made their full allegation against him at the station and insisted Loveless had given him the black ball, containing the cocaine, and offered him £3,000 for the trip.

Eventually police found text messages exchanged between Loveless and Marshalleck.

"There are chats going on, we say, about guns, cash and drugs," added Mr. Perian. "One text asks: 'Are they Beretta's?' These are not hats they are talking about, but guns.

"It provides a clear insight into the destination of drugs and guns, we say, Loveless was importing into the country.

"He was also doing online research into possible ways to smuggle cocaine into the country."

Police seized €11,400 when they arrested Wright. "He denied the money was from drugs or gun running," said Mr. Perian.

When Laurent was questioned he said: "I don't know anything about no drugs."

Marshalleck was arrested on April 18 and officers found the screensaver on his iPad was an image of himself posing with an automatic weapon.

He is said to have exchanged incriminating texts with Loveless. "The conversations were, without doubt, about guns."

Trial continues………..