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A 24-year-old man accused of trying to smuggle 10 guns and ammunition into the UK as he drove off a ferry into Dover has been remanded in custody.

Khalid Ahmed, from Ealing in west London, who is a dual Dutch and Irish national, appeared at Westminster magistrates court on Wednesday, after being charged overnight with firearms offences.

He was stopped at Dover last Thursday by counter-terrorism police after he arrived in the UK from France, and when officers searched his car it is alleged that 10 self-loading pistols, along with ammunition, were found hidden behind the seats.

Some of the guns were loaded, the court was told.

Ahmed, a construction worker who was born in Amsterdam, appeared for a brief hearing in front of the district judge Daniel Sternberg on Wednesday morning.

He did not enter pleas to 10 counts of possession of a prohibited weapon and one charge of possession of ammunition, and was remanded in custody until a hearing at the Old Bailey on 17 April.

When the charges were announced, Cmdr Helen Flanagan, the head of counter-terrorism policing in London, said: “We appreciate this news may be concerning to the public, but since this arrest took place we have been carrying out a number of inquiries and to date, we have not identified any imminent threats to the public relating to this.

“Given the man has been charged, it is important there is no further speculation about the case while criminal proceedings are ongoing. But I can reassure the public that our investigation remains ongoing to ensure that the public is kept safe.”