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Businessman Jailed for Smuggling Gun Parts to Hong Kong
9 Feb
Summary
- A businessman was jailed for trying to send military-grade rifle scopes to Hong Kong.
- He falsely described the items as 'low-value cameras' on shipping documents.
- Evidence of ten further illicit shipments to Hong Kong was discovered.
A businessman from Yorkshire received a two-year and one-month prison sentence for attempting to illegally export military-grade gun parts to Hong Kong. Steven Gates, 47, was caught trying to send rifle scopes, which magnify a gun's target, to a buyer without the required export license.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) officials intercepted three rifle scopes at Manchester Airport in February 2022. Subsequent investigations led to the discovery of five more such items at the same airport in April 2023. Gates, who operated a metalwork business, had declared these sensitive items as 'low-value cameras' on his export documents.
During his arrest in May 2023, officers searched Gates's home and uncovered evidence of ten additional shipments destined for Hong Kong. HMRC emphasized that this was a calculated effort to bypass the UK's strict export licensing regime, intended to prevent the proliferation of military items.
