British Soldier smuggled cache of guns from Iraq to Britain in a tank and claims he took them to keep as collector's item

A former soldier has been jailed for 10 years after smuggling a cache of guns and ammunition from Iraq into the UK in a tank.

European Phoenix -- Ricardo McKenzie joined the Army in April 2001 as a private in the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, 1st Battalion, but sneaked the weapons into the UK in 2006.

The 35-year-old served in Iraq before being discharged from duty in September 2008, but was arrested on October 28, 2011, after a police raid on two homes in south London.

Inner London Crown Court heard last week how the first cache - a Hungarian-made FEG SA 85M semi-automatic assault rifle rifle - similar to an AK-47 - and a Colt 45 self-loading handgun - was found by cops during a raid at address in West Norwood.

The raid was planned by Operation Trident - a specialist unit in the Met set up to tackle gun crime in the black community.

After McKenzie's arrest at the first address, officers searched his home in Balham, south London, where they found a Dirty Harry-style Magnum revolver and bags full of ammunition, including deadly dum-dum bullets - which expand on impact.

McKenzie told the court that he had smuggled the weapons back from Iraq in 2006 in a tank and hid them in his barracks before being discharged in 2008.

He told the court he wanted to keep them as 'collectors items'.

He had admitted three counts of possessing a firearm and a further five counts of possessing ammunition at a previous court hearing, but on August 16 was found guilty of three counts of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.

He was jailed for ten years for the possession of firearm offences and seven years for the possession of ammunition offences, to run concurrently - meaning he will serve 10 years inside.

A spokesman for the Met said: 'On Friday, October 28, 2011, officers executed a search warrant at an address in West Norwood and McKenzie was arrested leaving the premises.

'Found inside the premises was a Colt .45 self-loading handgun with ammunition, and a Hungarian FEG SA 85M semi-automatic rifle, together with a quantity of 7.62mm ammunition.

'Upon searching McKenzie's home at Balham, a Weihrauch Magnum .357 revolver was found in his bedroom, together with .38 ammunition, some of which was of an expanding type.

Police found this Magnum and dum dum bullets in a raid on Ricardo McKenzie home in south London

A Colt handgun and ammo recovered by police. McKenzie told the court that he had smuggled the weapons back from Iraq in 2006 in a tank and hid them in his barracks before being discharged in 2008

MacKenzie admitted three counts of possessing a firearm and a further five counts of possessing ammunition and was found guilty of three counts of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life

'McKenzie initially told police that the Colt handgun, together with ammunition, had been brought back from Iraq as a collector's item some time in 2006.

'The gun was then supposedly brought back into the UK hidden inside a tank.

'He claimed to then have hidden the gun at his army barracks before he left the army in 2008.'

Detective Chief Inspector Gary Bruce, from Trident, said: 'The conviction of Ricardo McKenzie is the culmination of a great deal of hard work by DI Chris Jones, Trident North-East Team and the CPS.

'It has led to the imprisonment of a dangerous offender and removal of three lethal firearms and ammunition from the streets of London, weapons which would undoubtedly have been used to commit acts of serious violence.

'Trident operations such as this one help to ensure that it is still difficult for criminals to obtain guns and that those who do are arrested.