THREE men from Aveley have been arrested following an investigation into the theft of dozens of air weapons from a lorry in Basildon.

Essex CID officers have been gathering evidence following the theft in Paycocke Road between 8.30pm on Thursday,19 February and 4.30am on Friday,20 February.

The lorry driver discovered that his vehicle had been entered while parked, with 81 low‑powered air weapons stolen.

As part of ongoing enquiries, a number of simultaneous warrants were executed at addresses in Aveley this morning (Saturday, 21 March)

Three men, all in their 30s and from Aveley, remain in custody for questioning on suspicion of theft. During the searches, evidence was seized, including 12 air weapons.

Enquiries are ongoing to establish whether these are among those stolen during the incident.

Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Mitchell said: "This is a significant step in our investigation into a troubling incident involving the theft of items which could present a danger in the wrong hands.

"We are taking a thorough and determined approach, leaving no stone unturned as we work to recover all of the stolen weapons and bring those responsible to justice.

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"The theft took place in a public area used frequently by lorry drivers and motorists. If you have information that could help our investigation, please come forward.

"We have released images of the two types of air weapon taken, and I would urge anyone who is offered these items or comes across them for sale to contact us immediately."