A man from Chesham has been jailed for attempting to buy a hand gun from an undercover police officer. 

Engin Yalcin, 28, of High Street, was sentenced to five years and four months in prison for possession of a prohibited weapon and eight months for being in possession of a firearm without a firearm certificate, at Inner London Crown Court yesterday.

Acting on intelligence received, officers from the Metropolitan Police Special Projects Team launched an operation to prevent Turkish-born Yalcin from obtaining an illegal loaded firearm.

An officer acting as an illegal gun dealer arranged to meet with Yalcin on the evening of Monday, December 21 2015 in a public place in east London to supply him with a Glock pistol in exchange for £1000.

Yalcin arrived at the meeting place in a BMW with £1000 cash.

When he was given the handgun by the officer, Yalcin examined it closely, displaying knowledge of handling guns.

He was arrested at the scene for attempting to acquire an illegal firearm and when the BMW he was driving was searched, a hand gun was found in the boot of the car.

He was charged on December 22 last year and pleaded guilty to both charges before he was remanded in custody. 

In court, the Judge said that he believed Yalcin was purchasing the gun for "criminal purpose for himself or others."

Detective Constable Jason Niblett of the Special Projects Team said: "We will continue to use every legal resource available to us in order to prevent criminals from obtaining firearms to be used on the streets of London."