A Kendal armourer planning industrial-scale crystal meth production and illegal firearms conversion is jailed over 22 years after NCA probe.
A 31-year-old armourer from Kendal has been sentenced to 22 years and three months in prison after admitting involvement in an organised criminal group that plotted industrial-scale production of crystal methamphetamine and the conversion of blank-firing weapons into live firearms, the National Crime Agency said.
Dudley Brennan used his motorcycle repair business in the Lake District as cover while working with members of a criminal network to modify blank-firing guns, including submachine guns and pistols into functioning weapons. The converted guns were intended for sale to other offenders, police said.
Brennan also discussed plans with co-conspirators to produce large quantities of methylamphetamine (crystal meth), potentially yielding up to 100 litres in a 12-hour period from a custom-built mobile lab. Investigators later found a small meth lab in his home during searches.
Sentencing took place at Bolton Crown Court on 23 February 2026. Brennan’s key accomplice, 40-year-old Peter Weston, who coordinated sales and distribution for the group, was sentenced to 26 years and nine months.
Three other members of the organised crime group also received lengthy sentences: Ryan Pilling (13 years 7 months), Daniel Fitzgerald (8 years) and Joshua Ee (13 years 6 months) after admitting conspiracy to sell or transfer prohibited weapons.
During searches of Brennan’s business premises in March 2024, NCA officers uncovered a firearms conversion factory, a partly converted semi-automatic pistol, ammunition and a silencer. Intelligence indicated the group had converted at least 17 firearms, 12 of which have been recovered.
The NCA said the operation highlighted the serious threat posed by criminals combining illegal drug plans with weapon-making activities and underlined the agency’s focus on disrupting high-harm organised crime.
Reports are sourced from official documents, law-enforcement updates, and credible investigations.
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