Two men from Brent have been jailed for their part in multiple gun offences linked to a murder.
Menelik Boland, 32, of West Ella Road, Harlesden, and Anthony Graham, 31, of Franklin House, Carlton Vale, Kilburn, were among eight men jailed for a total of 59 years following two trials.
Boland was sentenced to seven-and-a- half years and Graham to six-and-a-half years for possession of a prohibited weapon at Isleworth Crown Court on May 14.
The court heard that Cristobal Ngomo, 30, of Leamington Place, in Hayes was a gun "broker" who was jailed for 16 years who was the "link" between two surveillance investigations.
Det Chf Insp Driss Hayoukane, from the Met's gun squad, said: "This was a complex investigation conducted by specialist detectives over a number of years.
"In both trials, the jury convicted Ngomo of serious firearms offences.
"He was supplying firearms to his criminal associates, and through our investigation we were able to identify that one of the firearms was linked to a murder in London."
The second part of a police investigation into gun crime was launched on June 21 2019 after 25-year-old Edward Simpson was fatally shot on Watermill Way in Feltham.
Mr Simpson's killer has still not been found.
Four days after the murder, specialist officers were carrying out surveillance in the area of Northwood Recreation Ground in Hillingdon, when they witnessed Boland, Graham and Mahad Ahmed, 30, get out of a black 4x4 Mercedes.
They entered the park and made their way to a hedgerow, and Boland entered the undergrowth with Graham, Scotland Yard said.
They were seen using a torch to search the area before leaving the park but officers did not witness them take anything .
When officers searched the undergrowth they found a black bag containing a loaded pump-action shotgun.
The Mercedes was stopped by armed officers on London Road and all three men arrested.
The firearm found in the undergrowth was confirmed by forensic teams as the same weapon that was used to murder Mr Simpson.
Phone analysis led officers to the conclusion that Ngomo and Borland hid the shotgun within the undergrowth the day before a meeting on 24 June.
DCI Hayoukane said Ngomo was the link to "two separate investigations and was the key to unlocking this network of criminals who were involved in the supply and passing of weapons that have been used in a horrific murder on the streets of London”.
Boland and Graham were both found guilty in February 2019.
Ngomo was found guilty on 13 March 2020 of conspiracy to transfer a prohibited weapon on or before February 8 2019. He was also convicted of the sale or transfer of a prohibited weapon, contrary to section 5(2A)(b) of the Firearms Act 1968.
Mahad Ahmed, 30 of no fixed address was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment after being found guilty in February 2019 of possession of a prohibited weapon.
Erwin Williams, 55, of Haynes Way, Watford, was jailed for six years after being found guilty on March 13 2020 of conspiracy to transfer a prohibited weapon.
Arsalaan Talib, 24, of no fixed address, was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years' imprisonment. He was found guilty on 13 March 13 2020 of conspiracy to transfer a prohibited weapon.
Joshua Cowley, 24, of Clare Road, Stanwell, Surrey, was jailed for six-and-a-half years after being found guilty on March 13 2020 of conspiracy to transfer a prohibited weapon on or before February 8 2019.
Police are reissuing an appeal for information that will lead to Edward Simpson's killer now the murder weapon has been found.
Det Chf Insp Katherine Goodwin, said: "Since 2019, Edward's family have not had justice for his death and although we have recovered the weapon that fatally killed him, we still need more evidence to bring his killers to justice.
"Someone out there will have information about why Edward was killed and by whom.
"I need anyone who might know about Edward's death to contact my team so we can look into it and try and build a case to convict his killers.”
Anyone with information should call 020 8785 8244 or 101, quoting reference CAD 9535/21June19.
Alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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