Kenneth Glad
A weapons investigation in central England has ended with a five-year prison sentence after officers uncovered a pistol and equipment used to produce ammunition inside a Warwick home. Authorities say the case highlights how suspicious purchasing patterns can alert investigators to potential illegal firearm activity.
Police detained Stefan Fenyes, 47, in March last year while he was working in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. The arrest came during an investigation by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), which targets serious organised crime.
When officers later searched his home, writes the Coventry Telegraph, they discovered a Czech-made pistol fitted with a loaded magazine, along with live ammunition and several firearm components.
Investigators also recovered tools typically used to reload or manufacture ammunition, as well as equipment connected to firearms maintenance.
Fenyes later admitted the offences and was sentenced this week to five years in prison at Birmingham Crown Court.
Purchases raise concerns
The case began after authorities reviewed Fenyes’ online buying activity.
According to the outlet, investigators identified 227 separate purchases of equipment linked to firearms or ammunition handling. The items included specialist tools used for cartridge reloading, gun-cleaning accessories and containers designed for ammunition storage.
Such purchases can draw scrutiny because components used to assemble ammunition are tightly controlled under UK firearms legislation.
Fenyes admitted the offences in April before being sentenced this week, the Daily Record reported.
Survivalist explanation
During questioning, Fenyes told investigators his activities were connected to survivalist interests.
He said he had been researching how ammunition is produced because he believed those skills could prove valuable during a national emergency or civil unrest, according to the Daily Record.
Fenyes also claimed the firearm found in his home had arrived there unintentionally. He told officers that during a trip to Slovakia in 2024 he had mailed a fishing tackle box back to his UK address, later suggesting the gun had been inside the parcel without his knowledge.
Officers also seized survival manuals and a range of hunting equipment, including crossbows and bladed tools.
NCA senior investigating officer Rick Mackenzie said: “Stefan Fenyes is clearly obsessed with guns and was intent on assembling an arsenal of weapons. Our investigation has crucially removed a lethal firearm from criminal circulation, as well as live ammunition.”
He added: “Whilst gun crime in the UK is among the lowest in the world, suppressing the availability of illegal firearms to criminals is a priority for the NCA.”
Sources: Daily Record, Coventry Live
