A Watford man is said to have been part of an organised crime gang that was behind a gun smuggling racket to bring weapons and ammunition from Europe into the UK, a jury heard.

Self loading pistols and a sub machine gun, along with ammunition, were smuggled into the country destined for other criminals, it was claimed.

Leading the Luton gang was Muzaffer Ali, described as security conscious who, in a four month period, used 18 different mobile phone numbers to hide his tracks, said prosecutor David Herbert QC.

His driver for one of two trips he made to Amsterdam to organise an illegal shipment is said to have been Yasser Majid, 23 from Gammons Lane in Watford.

A jury at St Albans Crown Court was yesterday told Mr Ali and his gang had shipped four self loading pistols and a sub machine gun and ammunition into the country having brought them in Amsterdam.

The weapons are said to have been taken to Luton before transferred to the gang's "customers" - another crime gang based in Leicester.

Eight men have gone on trial accused of being part of a smuggling operation.

Outlining the prosecution's case at the start of the trial, Mr Herbert said the evidence would show that all the defendants were "involved in an ongoing agreement" to bring the guns in during early 2016.

Some he said were involved more than others and at different times.

The weapons had been acquired by the gang from Dutch criminals based in the Haarlem district of Amsterdam.

Mr Herbert told the jury they would hear of two shipments of weapons brought into the country through the Channel Tunnel by Mr Ali and his gang.

The first was in February of last year and the second was two months later.

It's alleged that, unknown to Mr Ali and his gang, they were already under surveillance.

In the dock Muzaffer Ali, 40, of Maidenhall Road in Luton along with his older brother Khalid Hussain, 51, also of Maidenhall Road, 20-year-old Faisal Mahmood of Maidenhall Road, Haroon Khatab, 40, of Jasmine Road in Luton, Sajid Khan, 25, of Mants Close, Luton, Ikram Zaman, 30, of Dallow Road, Luton, Yasser Majid, 23, of Gammons Lane in Watford and Ayanleh Hosh, 39, of Langdale Close in Bletchley all plead not guilty to a charge of conspiracy to evade the prohibition on the importation of a prohibited weapon.

All eight men deny a second charge of conspiracy to evade the prohibition on the importation of ammunition.

The case continues.