Two brothers caught with World War Two submachine gun at home are jailed

Two brothers caught with a stash of firearms, including a World War Two submachine gun, have been jailed.

Azim Hussain, 34, and Noweed Hussain, 39, were arrested by officers who stormed their home in Small Heath, Birmingham on 16 July last year.

Police found two bags in an outbuilding which contained a hoard of weapons and ammunition.

An M3 0.45 calibre submachine gun and magazine, a three-part shotgun, a Webley 0.38 calibre revolver and bullets and cartridges were discovered in a Nike sports bag, a court heard.

A 9mm self-loading handgun, with a bullet loaded into the barrel and another bullet in the magazine, was also found in an Armani pouch.

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Azim previously pleaded guilty to six counts of possession of firearms and ammunition at Birmingham Crown Court.

He pleaded not guilty to possession of the firearms and ammunition but was found unanimously guilty following a trial.

Azim was jailed for seven years, while Noweed was sentenced to three years on Thursday.

Azim claimed he was looking after the guns for someone else who he would not name and said his brother Noweed was entirely innocent.

But body-cam footage showed Noweed had run out the back of the house to hide the guns and ammo in the outbuilding while Azim distracted officers at the door.

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Detective Constable Darren Wilkie, of West Midlands Police, said: “You do not need to be a weapons expert to understand the damage a submachine gun - made for killing in World War Two - could do on the busy streets of Birmingham.

“The fact that the handgun was loaded with a real bullet in the barrel shows that they were ready for use, either by Azim and Noweed or other people.

“I believe that our investigation has saved lives.

“We may never know what the brothers were planning but I suspect these were tools to commit serious crime.

“Thanks to the information we received and the action we took, four guns and 56 bullets are now in our secure store ready to be destroyed.”