Police name M40 gunmen suspects as they appear at Birmingham Magistrates Court

Two men have been charged with firearms offences after police recovered pistol and ammunition in a car they stopped on the M40.

Ricardo Thomas, aged 32, from Smethwick and Akelle Charles, aged 32, from Wolverhampton, appeared at Birmingham Magistrates Court today (Monday, October 30). They were both charged with possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition for a firearm without a certificate and remanded in custody to appear at Birmingham Crown Court on November 27.

The charges were brought by West Midlands Police Regional Organised Crime Unit following the arrests last Friday evening (October 27) close to Warwick Services on the southbound M40.

A spokesperson for West Midlands Police said: “Operation Target sees us taking a defiant stand against a range of serious and organised crime offences – from drug dealing and burglary to cyber crime and fraud. Officers will be using local intelligence, seizing goods, carrying out warrants and targeting offenders as part of Op Target’s ongoing crackdown against serious and organised crime.”