GUNRUNNERS ARRESTED EN ROUTE TO GREENOCK

Mark Kirkby got out of a black Audi and walked over to Ku Wing Kwok's car and placed the deadly haul inside the boot of his vehicle.

Two men were snared by undercover police following a handover of five potentially deadly guns and ammunition at a golf club.

The High Court in Glasgow today heard that Mark Kirkby, 37, who was in the passenger seat of a black Audi, was seen to enter the car park of Ardeer Golf Club in Stevenson at 2pm on September 1, 2020.

Kirkby, who was wearing gloves, walked over to his co-accused Ku Wing Kwok's silver Mondeo and opened the boot and placed items inside.

Both cars drove off and police later stopped 42-year-old Kwok on the A78 Irvine Road at 5.21pm.

A search of the car revealed five handguns and ammunition.

Prosecutor Owen Mullan said: “The five handguns were Turkish manufactured Retay self-loading blank firing replica pistols which had been modified.

“Each pistol was capable of discharging a 9mm blank cartridge.

“All the blank cartridges found – 100 in total which each had a 7mm steel ball bearing in the mouth – were suitable for use with the handguns. The ammunition recovered is capable of causing injury and death.”

Kwok told police he had been offered £1,000 to pick up items from the golf club and take them to Greenock, where they'd be taken off him.

Mr Mullan added: “He stated that although he knew the items that he would be uplifting were likely to be criminal, possibly controlled substances, he did not anticipate them being firearms and/or ammunition.”

Kirkby was detained at his house in Kerlaw Avenue, Stevenson, at 11.40pm.

Police seized six mobile phones and £2,970 in cash.

Kirkby admitted having five guns and ammunition in his possession at Ardeer Golf Club, Stevenson, Ayrshire, on September 1, 2020 without a firearms certificate.

Kwok pled guilty to having the five weapons and a quantity of 9mm blank cartridges at Irvine Road at Dalry Road, Largs, on September 1, last year.

Neither man is the holder of a firearms certificate.

Prosecutors say the offences were aggravated by a connection to serious organised crime.

Judge Lord Fairley deferred sentence on both accused, who are in custody, until April 29 at the High Court in Edinburgh.

Mr Mullan said: “The Crown does not have any information to support the view that either accused was to use the weapons, or that the weapons were to be used for a planned criminal purpose.”

Defence counsel Lorraine Glancy, representing Kirkby, and Paul Nelson, representing Kwok, will give their pleas in mitigation then.