Manhunt after gun smuggler failed to attend court

Polish national Rafal Habiak should have appeared to stand trial at Canterbury Crown Court

A manhunt has been launched for a Polish national who failed to attend a trial where he was convicted of importing firearms.

National Crime Agency (NCA) officers are appealing for information to trace Rafal Habiak who failed to appear at Canterbury Crown Court.

The 40-year-old was convicted in his absence after the judge ruled the trial should continue.

Habiak, who had lived in Grimsby and Cleethorpes, was initially arrested in 2018 after Border Force officers at Dover found a handgun and ammunition hidden under the floor of a car, and a rucksack containing ten cartridges of tear gas.

A pistol containing five live rounds, a flare pistol, and additional rounds of ammunition were found after additional searches

After being interviewed by NCA officers he was charged and pleaded guilty to importation offences.

He was jailed for five years.

While serving his sentence, NCA investigators carried out further searches of the vehicle, and a pistol containing five live rounds, a flare pistol, and additional rounds of ammunition were found.

Habiak, who was released from prison in January 2021, was charged with conspiring to import firearms.

'Extremely serious offence'

He failed to attend his trial in August, but in his absence, a jury took less than half an hour to find him guilty.

Last week a judge sentenced him to a further 18 months in prison, taking into account the sentence he had already served.

A warrant has been issued for his arrest.

NCA branch commander Adam Berry said: “Anyone who is assisting him while he is at large should also know that they may be committing an offence.

“Gun smuggling is an extremely serious offence and we are determined to do all we can to ensure Habiak is tracked down.”