An off-licence owner from Wembley has been jailed today for using his business premises to hide a firearm and drugs.
Mohammud Chowdari, 30, of Forty Lane, stored a shotgun, cannabis and cocaine worth £150,000, ammunition and canisters of CS gas inside Grapvines in Acton.
His stash, which also included £180,000 in cash, was discovered by officers when they raided his shop last November following complaints from locals.
When detectives interviewed him they discovered the shop was being openly used as a base for criminality and his alcohol licence was subsequently revoked.
Last week he admitted drugs and firearms offences and today he was jailed for seven-and-half-years.
Inspector Gareth Winnard, from Ealing Police, said: “Those who choose to involve themselves in criminal activity have no place on our borough and I want to reassure the resident of Ealing that we are committed to arresting such people and putting them before the courts.
“I hope Chowdari’s conviction shows that we will act upon intelligence provided and are committed to working with the local community to make Ealing a better place for its residents.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here