Cocaine dealing primary teacher jailed for 17 years after machine gun found in her underwear draw

A cocaine-dealing primary school teacher from Hertfordshire who was found hiding a deadly Czech-made Skorpion machine gun in an underwear drawer has been sentenced to prison, according to reports on Tuesday (11 October).

Aqsa Carvalho, 26, was found with the high-powered military weapon, capable of firing more than 850 rounds-a-minute, as well as a Makarov self-loading pistol, a revolver and a box of ammunition, which were found hidden in a cupboard.

Carvalho — who had denied charges of three counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and possession with intent to supply Class A drugs — was found guilty at Kingston Crown Court and jailed for 17 years alongside three accomplices, including her car dealer husband Robert James.

James, 32, had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and was handed an 18-year sentence.

The discovery was made by officers in the suburb of Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, as part of a police investigation into cocaine dealing in the county.

Cocaine worth a total of £7,000 was found across four raids as well as 50 wraps of drugs.

Detective Constable Gill McLean, of the Metropolitan Police's Special Projects Team, said: "These are extremely dangerous individuals who were prepared to use lethal firearms to protect an illicit drug dealing business. I am pleased that they have now been jailed for a considerable period of time," according to a report by The Sun

The investigation began when undercover officers spotted a bag being handed over to Abdul Ramzan, 25, and Jamon Anwar, 30, in Uxbridge. Ramzan from Slough was later jailed for 16 years after he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and was found guilty of three counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

Anwar, also of Slough, was found guilty of three counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "On Monday, 21 March, officers from the Met's Special Projects Team on a pro-active operation searched a property in Harriet Walker Way after witnessing a bag being handed over to Ramzan and Anwar in Oxford Gardens, Uxbridge.

"A search of the address revealed three firearms in the main bedroom, concealed in the underwear drawer of Aqsa Carvalho. Ammunition for the machine pistol was found in the magazine next to the weapon and more was located in another box. The machine pistol was set to fully automatic mode.

"Cash, a quantity of Class A drugs, along with a drugs grinder and scales, were also located during the search. A number of mobile phones seized during the raid subsequently revealed evidence of extensive drug dealing.

"A search was conducted at an address in Trelawney Avenue in Slough and approximately 80 rounds of '.22' ammunition were found concealed behind the fireplace, along with a number of mobile phones.

A search of Anwar's address resulted in the seizure of counterfeit notes, while 50 individual wraps of drugs were found at Ramzan's address.

Robert James Carvalho pleaded guilty to all counts on 9 September and Aqsa Carvalho, Ramzan and Anwar were found guilty on 20 September.