THE York businessman at the centre of a weapons smuggling case in the US has been suspended from his role at a Dunnington gun shop.

Gary Hyde, 41, an employee and director of York Guns, is now the subject of an internal investigation at the store.

General manager Karen Bouldison said Hyde had been suspended from York Guns Ltd pending an investigation. She said: “York Guns takes its licensing obligations extremely seriously and is in close contact with the police in an effort to resolve this matter.

“We need to make sure our staff are happy and we can continue to trade.”

The firm has previously pointed out there is no link between York Guns Ltd and the charges which have seen Hyde detained in the US, pending a trial later this year.

Hyde recently launched an unsuccessful legal bid to return to the UK and must now stay in America, on 50,000 dollars cash bail, under satellite monitoring Hyde is accused of selling Chinese-made AK47 rifle magazines, worth 350,000 dollars in America, in contravention of US rules banning the importation of Chinese-made weapons or accessories.

He is alleged to have altered the magazines so they appeared to be Bulgarian manufactured, which would be legal for importation.

He was arrested in Las Vegas last month while attending the SHOT Show, which is a massive sales event for firearms distributors, hunters and gun enthusiasts.

Hyde’s co-defendant, German-born Karl Kleber pleaded guilty recently to smuggling and agreed to co-operate with authorities.

Kleber is registered with Companies House as a director of two York-based companies, Frederic James Ltd and Jago Ltd, both of St Saviourgate.