Northern Irish man tried to smuggle weapons from America

A 66-year-old man from County Down, Northern Ireland, has been convicted after attempting to mail an AR-15 assault rifle and two handguns to himself from the United States.

William McMullan, of Loughdoo Road, Newtownards, was arrested at his home by National Crime Agency (NCA) officers in November 2019 after Border Force found firearm parts at Coventry International Post Office.

The discovery, made in two separate packages, contained parts for an AR-15 assault rifle, a revolver and a self-loading pistol.

The weapons were broken into pieces in an attempt to smuggle them into the UK.

After his arrest, McMullan admitted he had purchased the firearms while on holiday in the United States and had them mailed to his address in Northern Ireland.

On Thursday 12 September, McMullan pleaded guilty to weapons importation offences at Downpatrick Crown Court. He was sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for 12 months, on Friday 20 September.

NCA Belfast Branch Commander David Cunningham highlighted the potential danger posed by the weapons:

“These firearms, in the wrong hands, could have caused mass casualties. The AR-15 in particular is a military-style rifle of the type known to have been used in a number of high-profile mass shootings in the United States. There is no place for deadly weapons like this in Northern Ireland.”

Cunningham also spoke of McMullan’s recklessness: “These were serious offences, and McMullan was extraordinarily foolish to think he could get away with them.”

Phillip Holliday, Regional Director of Border Force Central, added: “Border Force is committed to stopping firearms from entering the country illegally, where they fuel organised crime groups and destroy lives. We will continue to work tirelessly to keep the public safe and our borders secure.”