A YORK gun company whose boss is facing arms charges in America tried to arrange a shipment of 130,000 Kalashnikov rifles to Libya, according to a leaked document obtained by The Press.

A classified memo released by Wikileaks has shown that York Guns, of Dunnington, requested an export licence in 2008 to deliver the automatic rifles to Libya.

The memo from the US State Department’s Tripoli embassy said the UK was sceptical and feared that the weapons could be used to equip Libyan military units or re-exported by Libya, particularly to armed rebel factions in the Chad/Sudan conflict.

But there is no suggestion that York Guns acted unlawfully in the proposed arms shipment or knew of any intention to re-export the weaponry. The revelation comes as Gary Hyde, 41, who runs York Guns, faces charges in the United States into unrelated allegations that he was involved in the illegal importation of thousands of Chinese weapon parts into America.

The leaked memo said the UK embassy in Tripoli had received a request from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to vet the request from York Guns to act as an intermediary between an unidentified Ukrainian arms manufacturer and procurement officials at Libya’s Temporary People’s Committee For Defence.

The memo said it was not clear what the rifles would be used for, and attempts to obtain further information from York Guns and Libyan Government officials had “raised more questions than they answered.”

It said: “The UK received no answer as to whether the weapons would be used to equip Libyan military units, and in any event was sceptical that such would be the case, given the quantity involved.”

It said information available suggested that Libya’s armed forces comprised approximately 90,000 personnel, of which 60,000 were in the ground forces.

“The London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies puts the total number of military personnel at 76,000.”

The memo said it was thought the licence request would be refused, and ended with the comment: “The fact that York Guns and GOL (Government of Libya) officials have been vague about the intended end-use of the 130,000 Kalashnikov rifles raises potentially troubling questions about the extent to which Libya is still involved in supplying military material to parties involved in the Chad/Sudan conflict.”

The leaked memo may be an incomplete picture because the disclosures did not include any other documents or information York Guns may have later supplied in connection with the proposed shipment.

A member of staff at York Guns said yesterday it did not wish to comment on the Wikileaks allegations.


Arms boss due to face court in U.S.

YORK Guns boss Gary Hyde is expected to attend court in the United States next week to answer charges that he was involved in the illegal importation of thousands of Chinese weapon parts.

A police spokeswoman in Rochester, New York, said yesterday that on Thursday, a judge had affirmed an earlier ruling granting Hyde bail with restrictions, and he was now en route there from Las Vegas. The Press reported last week how Hyde had been arrested in Las Vegas while attending the SHOT Show, a sales event for firearms distributors, hunters and gun enthusiasts.

Federal agents detained him on January 20, accusing him of fabricating the markings on a shipment of 5,760 magazine drums for AK47s, to hide the fact they were made in China. American court documents stated that HM Revenue and Customs in Britain launched an investigation in 2007 into Hyde, who is also director of Jago Ltd, another York business. In December 2007, customs officers searched his home, York Guns and Jago Ltd. His lawyer has indicated he will deny the accusations.

Hyde and two other men are accused of “fraudulently and knowingly” importing Chinese-made AK-47 rifle drum magazines, in breach of a US ban on arms from China. The indictment also claims the men failed to accurately state where the parts had come from, and says the paperwork provided claimed they originated in Bulgaria.

York Guns has said previously it was aware that allegations had been made against Hyde, but stressed: “Although Gary Hyde is managing director of York Guns Ltd, no allegations have been directed towards York Guns Ltd. The company will continue to function as normal in his absence.”