Firearm recovered after police stop on M1 in Bedfordshire

A firearm has been recovered and a man arrested following a proactive police stop on the M1 in Bedfordshire.

Officers from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Armed Policing Unit carried out the stop at around 8.30pm on Monday, April 20.

A man in his 30s from London was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply firearms.

He has since been released on bail, pending further enquiries.

The investigation is being carried forward by Bedfordshire Police’s Boson team, who tackle gun and gang related criminality.

Detective Inspector Mark Pugh, the force operational lead for drugs, county lines and serious violence, said: “This is the second gun we have taken off the streets in Bedfordshire in a matter of days.

“We have specialist teams and detectives working around the clock to counteract this threat, disrupting criminal gangs and seizing weapons, as well as working with young people to show them a better path.

“Offenders linked to organised crime in Bedfordshire were jailed for more than 300 years last year, while the force destroyed just under 400 firearms.

“We will continue to be on the front foot in tackling gun crime and relentlessly pursue the criminal networks involved.”