Mick Ranger
Born
Michael George Allan Ranger

November 1946 (age 77)
United Kingdom
OccupationFirearms dealer

Michael George Allan Ranger (born November 1946)[1] is a British firearms dealer. He founded IDSC (International Defence Security Company) and has been involved with several large arms deals with several countries.

Biography

Born in 1947, Ranger runs Imperial Defence Services, which is based in Takeley, Essex. His firm has operations in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Nigeria, Australia, South Africa and Vietnam.[2] The company website states:

Apart from countless transactions involving small arms in general, we have completed transactions for Surface to Air Missiles, Anti-tank weapons and a large quantity of Missile Warhead Fuses, Rifle Grenades and Heavy Machine Guns.

— Imperial Defence Services Website[3]

The website does not quote prices, although it is claimed that it previously stated the company sold grenade-launchers for £450, and a collection of rifles from £195 to a £20,000 General Electric Minigun.[2]

Companies

Mr. Ranger seems to have something to do with a series of related companies that are all headquartered in the same location.

  • Ranger Arms Company Ltd. (existing April 28, 1987 - August 13, 2013)[4]
  • F.R. Ordnance International Ltd. (existing March 16, 1990 - September 23, 2003): The initials F and R represent the last names of its two company officers: Gregory Saul Felton (Director), and Michael George Allan Ranger (Secretary).[5]
  • Ranger Pistol Products Ltd. (existing May 16, 1995 – March 3, 2023) The company is named after Ranger, its founder and first director. It had its firearm components made in Vietnam and then assembled in Britain in Sheffield.
  • Imperial Defence Services Ltd. (existing May 16, 1995 – March 7, 2023)[6]
  • Imperial Defence Services (Holdings) Ltd. (existing February 17, 1997 – September 23, 2003)
  • London Arms Company, Ltd. (existing November 3, 2005 – June 18, 2013)[7]

Disputed dealings

In 2003, The Guardian published a report suggesting that Ranger was willing to sell arms to an undercover reporter posing as an agent wanting arms for a peace-keeping operation near the Iraqi border in Syria. The reporter made it clear that the weapons might be used in Iraq, but Ranger had no qualms with selling the weapons.[2] Ranger made it clear he was aware of UN arms restrictions and told the undercover reporter that, "he would not agree to any deal where Iraq was mentioned in official documents," [2] and that the end user certificate would require, "conclusive wording... that the guns being supplied will stay in Syria and will only be used by people so authorised by the Syrian government."[2][8]

Hungerford massacre

The Hungerford massacre occurred in Hungerford, Berkshire, England, on 19 August 1987. A 27-year-old unemployed local labourer, Michael Ryan, armed with several licensed weapons, including a semi-automatic Chinese Type 56 rifle, shot and killed 16 people. The Chinese Type 56 had been legally sold to Ryan by Westbury Guns.[9] Westbury Guns got them from Ranger, the sole UK importer of the weapon, who dealt directly with the manufacturer, Norinco.

Prison sentence

Ranger was sentenced in July 2012 to three-and-a-half years imprisonment for setting up a deal to sell missiles and handguns from North Korea to Azerbaijan. There is a ban on exporting arms to Azerbaijan that has been in place since 1992. [10][11]

References

  1. ↑ "IMPERIAL DEFENCE SERVICES LIMITED people - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 2023-07-15.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Barnett, Antony (27 April 2003). "Exposed: Global dealer in death". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2007-08-14.
  3. ↑ Imperial Defence Services Limited. About Us Archived 2008-04-11 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 13, 2008.
  4. ↑ Companies House → Ranger Arms Company Ltd. https://find-and-update.companyinformation.service.gov.uk/company/02126542
  5. ↑ F.R. Ordnance International Ltd.
  6. ↑ Companies House → Imperial Defence Services Ltd. https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/03056902
  7. ↑ Companies House → London Arms Company, Ltd. https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/05612238
  8. ↑ International Action Network on Small Arms (2007). "Amnesty International Undermining Global Security: the European Union's arms exports". International Action Network on Small Arms. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-08-14. {{cite web}}: External link in |last= and |publisher= (help)
  9. ↑ VICE We Talked to a Notorious British Arms Dealer Who Sold Missiles for North Korea https://www.vice.com/en/article/vdq4d3/mick-ranger-gun-sale-profile
  10. ↑ Davis, Margaret (20 July 2012). "Man jailed for Azerbaijan arms bid". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 2022-05-14.
  11. ↑ "Arms dealer jailed in UK over North Korean missile plan". Reuters. 20 July 2012.
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