A 23-year-old convict 'masterminded' the importation of eight firearms from Germany to London criminals using mobile phones smuggled into his prison cell, a court heard yesterday.

Wandsworth prisoner Alexander Mullings, known as "Smokey", is standing trial at the Old Bailey with four other defendants on joint charges of transferring machine guns and ammunition with intent to endanger life.

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Mullings was using illicit mobile phones from his prison cell to allegedly co-ordinate the machine gun-running ring

Three Skorpion submachine guns, two of which contained 74 and 100 bullets, were intercepted by police between April and June last year.

But five other lethal firearms delivered via Parcelforce to north London have not been recovered.

Mullings who goes by the street name "Smokey", has admitted co-ordinating the packages, but claimed he thought they contained imitation firearms.

He said he only did this because he was acting to help his 20-year-old ex-girlfriend, Emily Ciantar, also on trial, to pay off a £20,000 drugs debt owed to a violent Holloway 'gang lord' referred to in court as "Mr X".

Earlier in the trial: 'Boil in oil' threat to dealer organising machine gun importation from Wandsworth Prison

Machine gun smuggling woman: 'London gangsters threatened to kill my gran'

The Met Police Trident Gang Crime Command is anxiously awaiting the jury's verdict of this landmark four-week trial which exposes the potential for serious and organised criminals to carry out drugs and weapons smuggling from behind bars.

The prosecution hinges on telephone communication records from illicit mobile phones via numerous websites and apps including Instagram, Whatsapp, Youtube and even escort websites.

Phone records obtained by police link Mullings, who also admitted organising drug deals from his prison cell, to the four other defendants outside prison, which show he communicated with them around the time each weapon was despatched and delivered by Parcelforce.

Seven of the eight parcels were delivered to Woodstock Road in Finsbury Park, to a house occupied by drug addict Joseph Macgillivray, 55, who has said he thought the packages contained pornography and that he was collecting them from a friend to save him from embarrassment.

One of the Skorpion sub machine guns was seized by police during a dramatic firearms raid in April in Mitcham, which the prosecution claims was delivered by Ciantar to Spencer Inglis, 24, who intended to use it to endanger life.

Inglis, who is in custody, has denied the allegations but declined to give evidence in court.

The recovered machine gun and ammo carried fingerprints belonging to Islington woman Sarah Anderson, 24, also standing trial.

Anderson is a known friend of Mullings, who took him in for six weeks when he was hiding from police for a previous conviction.

She told the court she could not explain how her fingerprints came to be on the gun and ammo and has denied all charges.

Delivering his closing speech yesterday, prosecuting barrister Benedict Kelleher presented a narrative of a team of trusted accomplices most of whom were linked to Mullings by sex or drugs who he used to run a lucrative business from his prison cell.

He said Mr X, whose real identity is known to police and barristers, was in fact another accomplice used by Mullings to deal drugs and smuggle weapons.

He said: "This was a conspiracy run by Mr Mullings to import machine guns and ammunition to be redistributed to those around London that wanted them.

"The one reason people want guns and ammunition is to be able to fire them at people and to endanger lives and that's why Mr Inglis took possession of that gun."

Ciantar also denies the charges.

The defendants' barristers will make their closing speeches today and the jury is expected to reach a verdict later this week.

MOBILE PHONES IN PRISONS 

The trial comes as proposed new legislation by the Ministry of Justice and Home Office discussed in Parliament yesterday could see phone networks compelled to cut off mobile phones being used by prisoners.

Detective Sergeant Matthew Husher, a lead Trident officer in the Mullings case, said it had become more difficult for prison staff to prevent mobile phones being brought into prisons with some models matching the shape and size of a car key fob.

Prison visitors are also known to conceal Sim cards in their mouth.

In 2013, 7,451 illicit mobile phones were seized from UK prisons.

Speaking about the proposed new legislation, prisons minister Andrew Selous said: "We will never tolerate the use of mobile phones in prisons and will continue to clamp down on their illicit use.

"Our range of tough security measures has already successfully seen the number of seizures increase, but this proposed new legislation will significantly increase our ability to tackle this problem.

"By ordering a phone to be cut off once it is identified, we will be able to reassure victims and prevent further criminal activity faster and wider than ever before."