The National Crime Agency (NCA) has launched an appeal for information to locate Rafal Wojciech Habiak, a 40-year-old Polish national convicted in his absence for importing firearms.
Habiak failed to appear at Canterbury Crown Court for his trial in August, leading the judge to continue the proceedings without him.
Polish national Rafal Wojciech Habiak, age 40, should have appeared to stand trial at Canterbury Crown Court in August, but failed to attend.
He was eventually convicted in his absence after the judge ruled the trial should continue.
— National Crime Agency (NCA) (@NCA_UK) October 7, 2024
Habiak’s troubles began in 2018 when he was arrested by Border Force officers at Dover. They discovered a handgun and ammunition concealed beneath the floor of a Mercedes car, along with a rucksack containing ten cartridges of CS gas.
After his arrest, Habiak was interviewed by NCA officers and subsequently pleaded guilty to importation offences, resulting in a five-year prison sentence.
While serving his sentence, NCA investigators examined materials downloaded from Habiak’s phone, which indicated that additional weapons might still be hidden in the vehicle seized during his arrest.
One message found on his phone stated, “You will need to dismantle the car a bit to get one.” This led to further searches, revealing an Ekol pistol with five live rounds, a flare pistol, and additional ammunition.
Following his release from prison in January 2021, Habiak relocated to Cleethorpes. He was later charged with conspiring to import firearms along with Marcin Matwijow, a 44-year-old from Liverpool, who had sent him the aforementioned message. Matwijow pleaded guilty and received a sentence of seven years and ten months.
In Habiak’s absence, a jury at Canterbury Crown found him guilty in less than half an hour, and on October 3, he was sentenced to an additional 18 months in prison, factoring in time already served. A warrant has since been issued for his arrest.
NCA Branch Commander Adam Berry commented, “Rafal Habiak lived in Grimsby and the Cleethorpes area at the time of his offending and also had contacts in the Liverpool area. I have no doubt that there is someone out there who has information on his whereabouts.”
He cautioned that assisting Habiak while he is at large could also constitute an offence. “Gun smuggling is an extremely serious offence, and we are determined to do all we can to ensure Habiak is tracked down and serves his full sentence,” Berry added.
The NCA is urging anyone with information regarding Habiak’s location to contact them directly at 0370 496 7622 or reach out to Crimestoppers anonymously at 0800 555 111.
I’m wondering why this person on being found guilty was not immediately deported back to Poland and barred from entering the UK ever again.
Maybe he owned a cat.
well yes of course that needed to be considered – I mean who would feed said cat if he were to be deported- poor little kitty.
I’m pretty sure the RSPCA would have been onto the ECHR in a flash. (or should that be the EGF(eline)R).
Don’t forget a rat x eu = get treated better than people from UK witch seems to make a big difference these days especially if you like boats
Bit like the Albanian that got jailed , deported snuck back in , married , had a child, and now cannot be deported?
WTF is going on – re-enforce the original deportation licence and if they want to go with him…let ’em.
Careful, you’ll infringe his human rights.
Don’t forget the family too as he has a right to a family life. If they’re here.
Our immigration and deportation system is a joke.
And migrants know it.
I also noted the jail term. Let out after a few years, only to reoffend.
So the NCA had work they could have avoided in that time if only we had more prisons and jail terms are carried out.
Maybe he was a good boy so was released.
This is the big problem really..human rights are vitally important, but when the whole thing gets abused for essentially scum like this guy, to the point it essentially enables serious criminality it undermines support for human rights.
Doesn’t he know handguns are illegal in the uk silly man
The problem is you can get the Same for carrying a knife don’t get me wrong both need longer sentences for first offence if you carry and get caught live with it there aren’t many reasons to carry anything
I don’t know when I was younger I carried a knife for cutting things I needed cutting I think blanket bans on anything just punish law abiding people
They are not strictly illegal. In Scotland, Wale and England you can obtain long barrelled pistols with an FAC. In Northern Ireland you can buy them unadulterated.
Long barreled pistols are basically classed as rifles to call what we can own as a pistol is an insult to humanity and Northern Ireland I believe u can own only in certain circumstances
I’m a bit confused. There are loads of illegal weapons in the UK and criminals willing to use them. So why this story yet no report on yesterday’s MI5 briefing which would seem more pertinent?
MI5 briefing?
Ok, disregard, I’ve seen it.
The DGs yearly warning.
I believe the Security Service has been overstretched for years, despite the expansion of staff post 2005.
Too many subjects of interest and too few resources, they have to choose and prioritise.
Then, when they miss a lead and someone or something goes bang, the headlines blame them.
I sympathise with the job they have.
Arson and sabotage in UK.
I assume the media have a DA on them re details?
2 well documented cases here in the UK that spring to mind. Both stories are still available on BBC news website.
2023 5 Bulgarians arrested and charged with spying for a foreign power (Russia)
2024 Another 2 men arrested bringing the total to 7 (Brits included) with alleged Russia arson plot against (Ukrainian) warehouse in London.
I’ve also read a few stories across other European countries where spy rings/cells have been broken up with European agents acting on behalf of Russia. Mainly I guess because so many Russian Embassy staff have been thrown out of European countries ever since Salisbury, then Crimea and then their invasion of Ukraine. I think I saw that figure to be North of 700, so that’s a lot of established Intel posts for them to lose so recruiting local of criminals from other European countries to do their dirty work is only to be expected by them.
There’s also a number some of which are very high profile incidents happening across Europe where I think it’s safe to say you can see Russias hand behind them.