'Gun-obsessed' doomsday prepper caught with firearm and ammunition after Leamington arrest

By James Smith 12th Mar 2026

Local News by James Smith 12th Mar 2026

A Slovakian national with a firearms fixation has been jailed for possessing a gun and manufacturing live ammunition following a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation.

Stefan Fenyes, 47, of Warwick, told NCA investigators he has a keen interest in survivalism and doomsday prepping.

He admitted the charges against him in April and was sentenced to five years' imprisonment at Birmingham Crown Court today (12 March).

Fenyes came to the attention of the NCA after making 227 separate online orders for items that could be used to manufacture live ammunition.

Orders included tools to reload fired rounds, specially-made brushes to clean gun barrels and boxes for storing ammunition.

Fenyes was swiftly arrested on 20 March in Royal Leamington Spa at his place of work.

His home was searched and NCA officers recovered a viable Czech-manufactured pistol complete with a loaded magazine and rounds of live ammunition.

Other items seized from the address included gun barrels and component parts, as well as the tools Fenyes had ordered online to manufacture live ammunition.

He also had military survival guidebooks and a series of items relating to hunting and archery, such as crossbows and knives.

In interview Fenyes claimed to have sent the pistol to himself by mistake during a 2024 trip to Slovakia when, unbeknown to him, it was in a fishing tackle box he posted to his UK address.

He told NCA investigators that he was in the process of learning how to manufacture ammunition as it would be useful knowledge if the UK was invaded by a foreign state, or in a scenario of large-scale civil unrest.

Rick Mackenzie, NCA senior investigating officer, said: "Stefan Fenyes is clearly obsessed with guns and was intent on assembling an arsenal of weapons.

"Our investigation has crucially removed a lethal firearm from criminal circulation, as well as live ammunition.

"While gun crime in the UK is among the lowest in the world, suppressing the availability of illegal firearms to criminals is a priority for the NCA."