DNA on firearms prompts jail sentences for organised crime group

A man from Newark has been jailed as part of an organised crime group in Peterborough – after DNA was found on firearms.

Cambridgeshire Police officers carried out enquiries at a house in Fletton in September 2020, when a fully automatic machine pistol was found.

The magazines of the “Luger” pistol were loaded, and it wasn’t all police found. A loaded 9mm “Smith and Wesson” pistol, a loaded revolver, another self-loading pistol and around £1.2 million worth of cocaine were seized, too.

Pistols were taken from properties and forensics tracked DNA matches to three people. | Photo: Cambridgeshire Police

Forensic examinations on the weapons found DNA matches for three men – named Ignas Daumantas, 34, Dainius Cechavicius, 40, and Aleksej Sergejev, 45.

The first to be arrested was Daumantas, who was caught by police at Luton Airport on February 14, on his way to leave the UK.

Cechavicius was then arrested in his home on Hawksbill Way in Peterborough on March 19, 2021, where officers found three golf-ball sized packages of cannabis and almost £11,000 in cash stashed behind his toilet.

Some of the drugs seized by officers from addresses during enquiries. | Photo: Cambridgeshire Police

Finally, Sergejev was arrested at his Barnby Gate home in Newark on April 7 last year, as police found cannabis, cocaine and around £24,000 cash.

The following jail terms were issued to the three men:

• Ignas Daumantas, 34, of no fixed address, was sentenced to five years in prison at Peterborough Crown Court on March 28, admitting possession of a firearm
• Aleksej Sergejev, 45, of Barnby Gate, Newark, was jailed for seven years and eight months, also on March 28, after admitting to possession of a firearm, possession of cocaine, possession with intent to supply cannabis and acquiring criminal property – cash
• Dainius Cechavicius, 40, of Hawksbill Way, Peterborough, was sentenced to six years in prison on September 1 where he admitted possession of a firearm and money laundering, as well as production of cannabis relating to a previous arrest

Detective Constable Luke Pedlar, who investigated, said: “There have been multiple long and complex investigations to dismantle this OCG, which began unravelling almost two years ago. Through many hours of investigation, a significant group involved with firearms has been removed from Peterborough and put behind bars.

“This was a significant disruption to organised crime in Cambridgeshire which was found to have links to other areas of the country. Taking four firearms and £1.2million of cocaine out of circulation has undoubtedly prevented serious harm.

“We will continue to relentlessly pursue those posing the greatest risk to our communities and make Cambridgeshire a hostile environment for organised crime.”