Squaddies turned arms dealers sentenced for stealing £45k of kit from SAS base and selling to Far East buyers
Craig Davenport, 30, jailed for 22 months for part in arms smuggling ring with fellow squaddie Stephen Suffield, 28, and civvie pal Andrew Stevens
A MONEY-mad soldier who stole £45,000 worth of hi-tech equipment from stores at the top secret SAS barracks which could now be in the hands of terrorists was jailed yesterday.
The Sun recently revealed how army stores NCO Craig Davenport, 30, and his crooked colleague Stephen Suffield, 28, systematically nicked kit including night vision goggles, explosives, weapon silencers and sights from the world famous base.
A court heard it was part of a “sophisticated” international money-making scheme in which stores boss Davenport and his junior Suffield conspired with civilian pal Andrew Stevens who fenced the stolen stash to Far East buyers.
The trio communicated via a group chat on WhatsApp called “Boys Toys” to make huge sums from flogging the goods.
Stevens was the "lynchpin" of the racket who ran an airsoft company and was “obsessed and fascinated” by military goods, the court was told.
The Ministry of Defence fear the equipment – worth around £45,000 stolen from the base in Hereford – is in the hands of terrorists following the sale to buyers in Japan and planned sales to China.
Portsmouth crown court heard Davenport, of Crewe, Cheshire, had a senior role at the SAS base and had keys to five to stores, as well as being responsible for ordering kit and authorising items to be sent for repair.
He abused his responsibilities to order in goods to steal, as well stealing items that were already in stores.
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Sgt Suffield joined in with the pair to pay off £16,000 gambling debts, the court was told.
Stevens sold the goods to international contacts and made £28,500 from two sales in Japan.
The trio, who admitted conspiracy to commit theft, communicated with “thousands” of messages on their group chat and also stole distraction grenades, mini-flares, body armour and ballistic plates.
But their operation was exposed when married father-of-two Stevens, of Horndean, near Portsmouth, was detected by scanners at Heathrow Airport when he tried to travel to Hong Kong with night vision goggles to sell.
He was jailed for two years today, along with Davenport who received 22 months and Suffield who was given an 18 month sentence suspended for two years.
Prosecutor Adam Norris said: "Stevens was arrested at Heathrow Airport, a radioactive item was detected as he had on him military specification night vision goggles.
"He was arrested there as it appeared they were stolen, and it appeared he was travelling to Hong Kong to sell these items.
"His address was searched and further Ministry of Defence equipment was discovered.
"The significance of these items is obvious because if our soldiers are fighting on the front line they do not want to come across enemies with the same military equipment.
"Davenport and Suffield were stealing to order – it's clear they would buy in the goods just so they could steal them.
"Money was at the heart of this group and also on there was photos of the items."
He added: "We are no longer talking about a game, this is something which has the potential to be much more sinister.
"We're talking about the international trade of items going to people who shouldn't have them."
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