Operation Target: Police make five arrests in connection to firearm offences
Birmingham officers seized three guns during a series of unconnected incidents at properties across the city.
Five people were arrested after West Midlands Police teams armed with warrants searched properties and a car in separate incidents.
Over the weekend the three firearms from three separate incidents were recovered as part of Operation Target, the force's ongoing action to tackle serious and organised crime.
A search of a property, in Brook Drive, Bartley Green, on Saturday morning uncovered a suspected handgun, a sum of cash and quantity of drugs.
As a result two men, aged 27 and 62, and a woman aged 57, have been arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm. The two men have also been arrested on suspicion of money laundering.
Later on in the afternoon officers conducted a search of an address, in Kelby Road, in Northfield, where officers seized a suspected improvised firearm. A man, aged 21, is currently in custody on suspicion of possession of a firearm and possession of a bladed article.
Finally in the early hours of Sunday officers responding to a car key burglary, in Bowman Road, in Old Oscott near Perry Barr detained a man nearby and following a search a suspected handgun was found in a bag. The man, aged 25, was arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary and possession of a firearm.
All five suspects remain in custody and will be questioned in due course.
The force stated: "The guns are now being tested to check if they are viable firearms which will provide further information as we continue our investigations.
"We are specifically working to identify criminals involved in serious organised crime and bring them to justice, while preventing people from falling victim to some of their traumatic or harmful crimes."
