After his case was taken to the Court of Appeal by the then-Solicitor General, Alex Chalk QC MP, a man who attempted to import a gun into the UK was given a longer prison term.
Haroon Iqbal, now 32, placed orders for various pistol parts on the dark web between November 2021 and February 2022 and provided the vendor with specific instructions on how to conceal the parts in parcels so as to avoid discovery.
He accidentally communicated with an undercover US Law Enforcement officer while carrying out his plan, which led to his capture.
Iqbal was given a 2 year, 3 month prison term on May 26, 2022 at Birmingham Crown Court for attempting to possess a restricted weapon.
Following the sentencing, the then-Solicitor General, Alex Chalk QC MP, decided that the original sentence was too light and sent Iqbal’s case to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence system.
On July 27, 2022, the court increased his previous sentence to three years and nine months in jail since it was seen to be too mild.
After the hearing, Edward Timpson CBE QC MP, who is currently the solicitor general, said:
Iqbal intentionally attempted to elude law enforcement while planning a complex scheme to enter the UK with a prohibited firearm.
I applaud the decision to lengthen his sentence because it more accurately represents the seriousness of this offence and what would have happened if Iqbal had prevailed.