Anya Horwood secures arms smuggling acquittal

August 29, 2019

Anya Horwood from Exchange Chambers, instructed by Robert Lizar Solicitors, has secured an acquittal for a man accused of arms smuggling after police found a revolver in a package being sent to him from the US.

Isaac Harari, 40, was arrested after a Glock 17 was found hidden inside a Marshall Amplifier speaker that was sent to him by a US-based dealer using the name of the Games of Thrones character Ty Lannister.

Homeland Security intercepted the parcel in Newark, New Jersey, on September 25 last year before it left the US but sent a dummy version without the gun on to the UK and alerted police saying it was due to be delivered two days later at Harari’s apartment in Longsight, Manchester.

Although the Sheffield Hallam university graduate was not expecting a parcel it was addressed to him.  On opening it, he thought the Amplifier inside weighed too little.  He decided to remove the back, thinking the blue package inside might be cannabis sent from America.  It was at this point that police burst in and arrested him.

Mr Harari faced charges of importing a prohibited weapon into the UK but he was found not guilty after he told a jury he had no idea the speaker would have contained a firearm and mistakenly thought he might be getting a delivery of cannabis from California.

He was conditionally discharged for 12 months after police found three jars containing cannabis at the flat.

Anya is a member of the criminal team at Exchange Chambers.