A drug addict, who willingly traded “wholesale death or terrorism” in the UK, for his next fix, has received a 19-year jail sentence

Sinister Robert Kokins was caught in a police sting targeting dealers and thieves in Thanet.

But what they nabbed was the 22-year-old Latvian who was trading handguns and military-style explosives for cash to buy heroin and cocaine.

Even experienced undercover police officers were shocked when Kokins walked into a “fake” second-hand shop in Margate offering to supply TNT, Nitroglycerin and AK-47-style semi-automatic air-rifles.

Now Kokins, of no fixed address – was told by a judge today: "One shudders to think what use these explosives would have been put to... probably terrorism or at least the most serious organised violent crime."

He admitted a series of charges including possessing a prohibited weapon, possessing TNT and attempting to possess Nitroglycerine.

His pal, Marvin Johston, 23, from Gordon Road, Cliftonville was jailed for 15 years having pleaded guilty to burglary, handling stolen goods, offering to supply Class A drugs, theft and possessing a 9mm Beretta-style pistol.

Judge James O’Mahony said: “I have never come across someone before was prepared to trade in wholesale death - probably terrorism – to make sure of their next fix of heroin.”

He asked prosecutor Ian Foinette what was the purpose of possessing the military-style TNT – with had Cyrillic writing on the side.

Mr Foinette replied: “One assumes a raid on somewhere; quite where the prosecution would just be speculating. But along with the offer of AK-47s it would have to be some premises.”

The judge added: “Well it would have to be somewhere unusual...either terrorism or the most highest possible level of criminal behaviour.”

Kokins posted pictures of himself on his Facebook page. In one he is holding what appears to be an AK47. Others show men with hoods and guns and drug paraphernalia.

Kokins had asked the undercover officers for £10,000 for nitroglycerin and handed over a sample in a foil – believing it was the explosives.

But Mr Foinette said that when forensic experts examined it the crystals turned out to be inert.

However the TNT which dealer brought to the shop WAS the real thing, the prosecutor revealed.

He told how Kokins and Johnston had come to the covert police shop on May 16 last year offering the pistol for sale for £300 – along with a magazine which fitted the converted weapon.

“Kokins assured “Lee”, the undercover officer, that the pistol worked and referred to getting other stuff from his country which he said was Latvia.

“Kokins said he also had some explosives for sale and at one point Johnston referred to the explosives as C3.”

The prosecutor said Kokins said he had 200 grams of the explosive for sale which he was willing to sell for £10,000.

“Lee discussed the value of the pistol and Johnston said he had thought about committing a robbery that morning with the pistol but then worried about going to prison , so decided against it.

“Kokins claimed to be able to get AK-47 machine guns from Latvia and Johnston asked Lee if he would buy one, “ he added.

The officer said he would buy the pistol for £250 and Kokins then offered to cut off a piece of the TNT which he would leave as a sample.

Ten minutes later he returned with a see-thru bag containing a block of hard compressed powder with grease-proof paper wrapped around it – scientists later confirmed it was TNT.

The court heard that during the next few days Kokins met several times with the officer to discuss the price for the TNT, settling on £700.

Johnston also returned to the shop with various items later identified as coming from a burglary in First Avenue in Margate the previous night.

He also sold a camera stolen from a house in Hope Road, Deal, and a stolen disabled Blue Badge.

Mr Foinette added that on June 16 Kokins went back to the shop and asked Lee if he knew what Nitroglycerin was and produced a small foil wrap, which turned out to be chalk, limestone or marble.

“The prosecution case is that Kokins at that time must have believed that he had in his possession nitroglycerin.”

Kokins’ lawyer Kerry Waitt said that by offering explosives and weapons showed “just how low he had sunk and how immersed he had become".

The judge commended the officers for their courage in putting their lives at risk to expose “this level of sheer criminality.”