Criminal Gang Convicted for Producing Assassination Kits in East Midlands

Ronald Knowles operated a makeshift factory in his garden in Alfreton, Derbyshire, where he converted around 33 replica pistols into live firearms and produced bullets for approximately 80 assassination kits. These kits, which included silencers and latex gloves, were sold to notorious criminal Gary Hardy, who distributed them to gangs involved in organized crime. Police discovered the operation during an investigation into Hardy, seizing firearms and ammunition packaged for criminal use, and catching Knowles attempting to burn evidence in his garden. The kits were designed to be lethal, with modified ammunition intended to expand on impact, raising serious concerns about their potential use in targeted killings. The investigation also linked the firearms to other criminals, revealing a wider distribution network, and led to the dismantling of what authorities described as one of the largest firearm factories in the East Midlands. Both Knowles and Hardy have been convicted of serious firearms offences and are awaiting sentencing.