Jail for Middlesbrough drug dealer who stored firearms, smoke grenades and ammunition in safe

Martin Lynch, of Hewley Street, was identified as the owner of the safe when it was found to also contain a COVID card with his name written on it.

The safe first came to the attention of officers when two men walked into Middlehaven’s police station at 4pm on Thursday 23 November 2023.

They handed it to staff at the front desk stating it was believed to contain a range of dangerous weapons and his friend was keeping the safe on behalf of a drug dealer after getting in trouble.

An evacuation took place, and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team transported the locked safe to waste ground to be safely opened.

Inside uncovered a ‘slam gun’ with a barrel width consistent with .22 rounds, numerous rounds of ammunition, two smoke grenades, a knuckle duster, taser, four live shotgun rounds, a cash box, and cocaine – along with Lynch’s COVID card.

Further information came to light that the 34-year-old was storing another safe at a neighbouring property. Lynch was then swiftly arrested at his home address on suspicion of possession of a firearm and possession of a class A drug.

The neighbour’s house was searched by officers accompanied by a police dog who located the safe under the stairs. Inside the property officers found cocaine worth approximately £2,500 and drug paraphernalia.  

At Teesside Crown Court on Monday 23 September Lynch was sentenced to nine years after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm, possession of a weapon and possession with intent to supply cocaine, at an earlier hearing.

Detective Inspector Matt Hollingsworth, from Cleveland Police’s Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, said: “I believe Lynch had been using other people in order to access their property and conceal the weapons and ammunition as well as the high quantity of drugs and paraphernalia, so he would go undetected.

“Unfortunately for him this didn’t go to plan as he failed to realise he had identified himself by placing his Covid card in the safe.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank the two men who had the courage to come to the police station that day and report what they rightly believed was being stored in the safe.

“This meant we were able to dispose of the weapons safely, ensuring they were removed from circulation to prevent them being used to threaten or cause serious harm to people in our community. It also meant we were able to identify Lynch and put him behind bars.”

If you have information relating to firearms or drug activity, please report it to Cleveland Police by calling 101 or alternatively contacting Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.