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Smethwich ex-soldier's drugs and guns trial starts

A former Smethwick soldier has gone on trial accused of being involved in drug and weapon smuggling.

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Trave Dyce, aged 21, of Sydney Road, was driving a vehicle involved when stopped by police, a court was told.

He admits possession of firearms but, along with the others, denies conspiring to import 493gms of cocaine. It was alleged that defendants, including three other soldiers and a civilian, were involved in smuggling five illegal handguns, silencers, ammunition and more than £70,000 worth of cocaine.

Police swooped on two BMW vehicles on January 25, seizing two Walther P99 9mm pistols, three converted BBM pistols, each with their own silencer, 74 bullets and 493gms of 74 per cent pure cocaine.

They arrested Lemar Loveless, 26, of Kings Cross, London, and Dyce.

Woolwich Crown Court, London, heard that all the firearms and cocaine were found in the vehicle driven by Dyce.

Mr Steven Perian, prosecuting, said: "Police found a pair of size eleven boots in the car boot and inside one of them was a grapefruit-sized ball of black duct tape and when opened it contained the high-purity cocaine.

"The tape was impregnated with curry powder, which is used to disguise the smell of class a drugs from sniffer dogs."

All of the handguns and bullets were found stashed underneath the car's front seats.

One Walther was wrapped in a white t-shirt. The serial number had been deliberately removed on at least one of the BBM's.

The BMW Dyce was driving was registered to another of the defendants and Loveless was following in a vehicle he claimed was his girlfriend's.

The court heard that Dyce told the officers: "He (Loveless) told me to drive the car and drop it off for payment

"He told me there were guns in there."

The court was told that the black market value of fire arms was up to £18,000.

The case continues

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