A fourth man charged in a Metropolitan Police organised crime operation will appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court this morning after detectives found a revolver they believe belonged to him while searching properties connected to the case.
Andreas Nicolas, 64, from Duxford in Cambridgeshire, was charged overnight with possessing a firearm and possessing a weapon designed to discharge a noxious substance — an electric stun-type weapon — both offences contrary to Section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968. He has been remanded in custody ahead of today’s hearing.
His charging marks the latest development in one of the Met’s largest recent operations against suspected organised crime, which saw officers execute warrants at 24 addresses across London, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire in the early hours of Tuesday and arrest 17 people.
Fourth man charged in organised crime operation after being bailed and re-arrested
Nicolas was first arrested in the early hours of Tuesday morning as part of the wider operation. He was released on bail on Tuesday evening — but officers re-arrested him on Wednesday after property searches carried out as part of the same investigation uncovered weapons they suspect belong to him, including the revolver.
He is the fourth person to be charged following Tuesday’s arrests. All four men remain under investigation in connection with the wider operation, and have been bailed for those wider matters alongside the other 14 people arrested on Tuesday.
According to the Metropolitan Police, the force carried out a further arrest later on Tuesday in addition to the 17 held during the morning warrants.
Key facts: the four men charged so far
- Andreas Nicolas, 64 (Duxford, Cambridgeshire) — charged overnight with possession of a firearm (a revolver) and possession of a weapon to discharge a noxious thing, namely electricity. Remanded; appears at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today.
- Charles Charalambous, 56 (Cockfosters) — charged with wounding with intent to cause GBH to resist arrest, after a police officer was stabbed while a warrant was being executed. Remanded; appears at Southwark Crown Court on 29 October.
- Carl Robinson, 49 (Stanford Rivers, Essex) — charged with possessing offensive weapons in a private place, namely three knives. Case adjourned for discussion of a legal matter; bailed to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today.
- Bradley Byford, 37 (Bishop’s Stortford) — charged with possessing a weapon to discharge a noxious thing, namely electricity. Bailed; appears at Southwark Crown Court on 29 October.
How the operation unfolded
The three earlier suspects all appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. Charalambous, the Cockfosters man accused of wounding an officer with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, was remanded in custody to appear at Southwark Crown Court on 29 October. Byford was bailed to appear at the same crown court on the same date, while Robinson’s case was adjourned to allow discussion of a legal matter — he is due back at Westminster today.
The Metropolitan Police has reminded media outlets that proceedings are now active in all four cases, and urged editors to exercise caution over any material that could prejudice future trials.
The investigation continues, with officers still working through material seized during Tuesday’s raids at two dozen addresses. Further arrests have not been ruled out.
What happens next
Nicolas’s appearance at Westminster Magistrates’ Court this morning is the first stage of his case. Given the Section 5 firearms charges, which can only be tried in the Crown Court, his case is likely to be sent to the Crown Court at a later date if the magistrates commit him for trial — a pattern already seen with Charalambous and Byford, who were both directed to Southwark Crown Court on 29 October.
Meanwhile, the 14 other people arrested on Tuesday who have not been charged remain on bail while the wider organised crime investigation continues.
