An arms dealer from East Yorkshire who assisted in the shipment of thousands of AK47 assault rifles from China to Nigeria has been convicted of breaching UK trade controls.
Gary Hyde, 43, of Mask Lane, Newton on Derwent, was convicted by a jury at Southwark Crown Court in London and will be sentenced on November 23.
Hyde, who served as a special constable for seven years, aided in a 2007 delivery of 40,000 AK47 assault rifles, 30,000 rifles and 10,000 9mm pistols, as well as 32m rounds of ammunition, Southwark Crown Court heard.
The East Yorkshire resident operated without a licence and squirrelled away over $1m (£620,460) in commission payments, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) revealed.
Hyde was found guilty on two counts of becoming knowingly concerned in the movement of controlled goods between March 2006 and December 2007.
The defendant was also convicted on one count of concealing criminal property between March 2006 and December 2008 after it was discovered that he had hidden the profits from his trades in a Liechtenstein bank account.
Copyright Press Association 2012