Salford man sentenced to five years after officers recover firearm in traffic stop

A man from Eccles who laughed and joked as officers searched him has been sentenced to five years in prison for possession of a firearm. 

36-year-old Fatjon Sadikaj of Gorton Street Eccles, was sentenced on Friday 6 December after being stopped and search by police.

Mr Sadikaj vehicle was stopped on Chaddock Lane, Salford, on Friday 19 April 2024, after they noticed it was driving in a strange manner. 

The uniformed officers suspected the driver and sole occupant of the car to be under the influence of drink or drugs, with the 36-year-old failing his roadside breath test and was arrested on suspicion of drink driving. 

The officers continued out a search of his person, with Sadikaj saying: “I have one gun”, while he laughed and said: “It isn’t really, it isn’t really, it’s just fun and games.” 

The uniformed police officers were able to recover a silver revolver handgun containing bullets tucked into the waistband of his pants.

The firearm was immediately submitted for a classification examination.

The findings of the report discovered the firearm to be a deactivated revolver, which had been modified to enable it to fire, making it a Section 5 Firearm. 

Mr Sadikaj pleaded guilty to possession of a Section 5 Firearm and was sentenced to five years in prison. 

Following the sentencing DC David Prowse, of the Salford Challenger Team said: “What started off as a suspected drink or drug driving traffic stop, has resulted in a dangerous weapon being taken from our streets and the sentencing of the individual carrying it.

“There’s no place for guns on our streets and GMP takes a zero-tolerance approach in tackling and bringing to justice those who chose to carry such weapons.” 

DC Prowse continued: “We want to ensure the streets of Greater Manchester are a safe place for all those who live, work and visit here, and this result is just one small step in our endeavour.” 

Between 2020 and 2023, Greater Manchester Police recovered more firearms than any other force in the Northwest, accounting for 58% of all firearms recoveries in the region.

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