Accused Shropshire man sparked major air safety review

A major review of airline security was sparked after a Shropshire man was caught allegedly smuggling 80 guns in his suitcase on transatlantic passenger flights.

Former US Marine Steven Greenoe - who has a home in St George's Street, Frankwell, Shrewsbury - was arrested in July last year after he was allegedly caught with the dismantled guns in a number of suitcases which he had carried on a passenger flight to Manchester.

The 37-year-old, who describes himself as a private security consultant, will be sentenced in June after admitting two charges at a court in America yesterday.

His wife Elizabeth, who gave birth to their twin boys in October, is said to have been unaware of her husband's alleged gun smuggling until their Shrewsbury home was raided by police.

The case has now prompted a review of security on all transatlantic flights. Reports said that crisis talks were held between London and Washington over the apparent breach in security.

One counter-terrorism source said: "This situation calls for an urgent reassessment of airport security in the States."

Another source added: "The fact that he was able to carry on undetected for so long is bad. That he was stopped at least once with guns in his bag and was then allowed to catch his flight is astonishing."

The trail to Greenoe's arrest started when an investigation led by the British regional task force was launched after police in the North West recovered a number of new handguns.

Earlier this year Greenoe's mother's home in Raleigh, North Carolina, was searched and three handguns, two shotguns, a rifle, cases for carrying firearms and various documents were seized in the raid.

It is understood he stayed with his mother when he visited the area.

At the time of Greenoe's arrest, his neighbours in St George's Street said they saw officers and sniffer dogs scouring the ex-marine's home and the stair carpet could be seen ripped up.

Greenoe admitted exporting firearms from the US without a licence and travelling in foreign commerce to deal in firearms without a licence when he appeared in court in Greenville, North Carolina, yesterday.

He claimed to be the head of Jolie Rouge Group, a firm specialising in protecting shipping off eastern Africa from pirates.

Timeline - What Steven Greenoe is accused of doing during 2010:

• July 19: An investigation was launched in Raleigh, North Carolina, after Greenoe was suspected of buying firearms in North Carolina and illegally exporting them to the UK.

• July 21: Greenoe's international travel from UK to USA between January 2010 and July was analysed alongside his firearm purchases.

• Janury 21: Greenoe arrived in the US via Atlanta aboard a Delta flight from Manchester. He left on January 27 for Manchester.

• February 16: Greenoe arrived in the US and bought five Glock pistols from Carolina Shooters Supplies.

• February 22: Greenoe left the US. On the same day an undercover Merseyside police officer spoke to a man who had previously sold him a submachine gun.The man stated he had another firearm for sale.

• February 24: Undercover officer met with the man again who offered him four baby Glocks and a full sized Glcoks for sale at £4,000 each. They were exactly the same type and number as Greenoe bought in Raleigh a week earlier.

• February 25: Three of the guns were bought for £10,500 and Merseyside Police made a gang involved in the conspiracy. Tests and checks showed they were the ones bought by Greenoe in Raleigh.

• March 6: Greenoe arrived in the US from Manchester.

• March 8: Greenoe bought two Glock 9mm pistols from Perry's Gun Shop.

• March 9: Greenoe bought two Glock 9mm pistols from Davi's Indoor Range.

• March 10: Greenoe left the US for Manchester.

• March 27: Greenoe arrived in the US.

• March 28: Greenoe bought three 9mm pistols from Personal Defense and Handgun Safety.

• April 17: Greenoe arrived in the US and returned to the UK sometime later.

• April 20: Greenoe arrived in the US from Heathrow and returned to the UK at a later date.

• April 30: Greenoe arrived in the US.

• May 2: Greenoe bought three 9mm pistols from Jim's Gun Shop.

• May 2: Greenoe bought two 9mm pistols from Payday Jewellery.

• May 3: He was due to leave the US to Manchester but was questioned at the airport. His luggage was screened and multiple firearms were found. He told officers he was a salesman and had just been to the gun show.

• May 14: He arrived in the US and left three days later.

• May 27: He arrived in the US.

• May 28: He bought two 9mm pistols and one .45 caliber pistol from Jim's Gun Shop and seven Glock 19, 9mm pistols from Sovereign Police Supply.

• May 30 He left the US.

• June 14: He went back to the US.

• June 16: He bought eight 9mm pistols from eagle Guns.

• June 17: He left the US.

• July 5: He returned to the US.

• July 6: He bought six Ruger, SR9, 9mm pistols from Eagle Guns, along with a Browning, Grade III, 12 gauge shotgun from a mystery person.

• July 7: He bought three Ruger, 9mm pistols from Jim's Gun Shop; two Ruger, 9mm pistols from Perry's Gun Shop.

• July 8: Greenoe left the US.

• July 19: Law enforcement record checks showed Greenoe or his American-based company Jolie Rouge Consultants had not been issues with an export license to ship firearms from the US to the UK.

• July 19: He arrived in the US. He underwent an inspection in the US and multiple receipts for firearms were found. Greenoe denied carrying the firearms overseas and said he knew it was illegal to do so.

• July 20: He bought 12 Ruger, 9mm pistols from Eagle Guns.

• July 21: He left Raleigh-Durham Airport for Los Angeles before returning to Raleigh on July 23.

• July 24: Surveillance operation followed Greenoe to Perry's Gun Shop where he bought two 9mm pistols and then to Personal Defense and Handgun Safety Center where he bought two Ruger 9mm pistols.

• July 24: Greenoe was followed to a property where he was seen working for two hours in the garage before he left and went to a landfill and dumped 33 pistol boxes and a bag of rubbish.

• July 25: Greenoe checked in four bags of luggage at Raleigh airport bound for Manchester after booking in on-line. He had not declared having any pistols in his luggage.

• His bags were searched and 16 pistol slides and 16 pistol barrels were found in a pelican case. Sixteen lower pistol receivers were also found. Seriel numbers matched those bought by Greenoe earlier.

• A typed note said Greenoe had consulted with airport police in May and he was shipping in-ert and non-working samples for his company Jolie Rogue Consultants.

• Staff said she had interviewed Greenoe before and that he was salesman. Checks were made and he was allowed to continue with his journey.

• An envelope with 32 magazines inside was found in his luggage - 16 firearms recovered matched those in the magazines.

• The guns in the luggage were fully functional which had been disassembled and disguised to appear as a non-working gun.

• Greenoe was questioned as he was about to board. He waived his rights and agreed to be questioned.

• Greenoe told officers he had bought the guns between February and July to provide high quality firearms to his employees who provided overseas maritime protection.

• He said he wasn't supposed to be bringing the weapons from the US to the UK but was doing so for his employee's protection.

• Greenoe was told that a buy/bust operation had taken place in the UK and police officers had seized three guns bought by Greenoe.

• Greenoe admitted buying all of the weapons listed by officers and said he had transported all but two of them to the UK by disassembling them and splitting them up into different suitcases.

By Crime Correspondent Kirsty Smallman