A gun supplier who fled the country during a police investigation has been jailed.

Leon Browne, 33, of Gladstone Road, Watford, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after he supplied guns and ammunition.

He attempted to supply three handguns and numerous rounds of 9mm ammunition to a group of associates to Browne, which was recovered by police on June 30 and July 1, 2016.

Browne fled the country during the 2016 investigation into the supply of firearms in Watford and failed to appear at St Albans Crown Court on July 25, 2016.

He was later found and arrested in Amsterdam on December 21, 2018, before he was brought back to England.

The gun distributor was found guilty and sentenced at St Albans Crown Court on November 25 this year.

Detective Chief Inspector Tracy Pemberton, from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: “As part of our continuing work targeting violent criminal networks, this conviction will help to disrupt the supply of firearms in the county.

“We have relentlessly pursued this investigation, using all our powers to bring offenders to justice. This is another key conviction which has made a significant impact on the criminal networks in Hertfordshire.”

The investigation was part of Hertfordshire Constabulary’s general operation to tackle organised criminal gangs.

DCI Pemberton added: “These groups pose a threat to local communities and the force is committed to identifying and relentlessly pursuing individuals and networks involved in serious and organised crime.

“As part of this work, we depend on information from members of the community to help us crack down on serious and organised crime. Any information you can provide, no matter how small it may seem, could help us to identify and apprehend violent criminals.”