AN ASSOCIATE of a man shot dead by an armed officer during a police stop on the M62 in West Yorkshire has been convicted of conspiracy to possess firearms and ammunition.

Yassar Yakub, 28, was the front seat passenger in one of two cars travelling in convoy from Bradford to Kirklees when four unmarked police vehicles surrounded them at junction 24 of the motorway at Ainley Top, near Huddersfield.

He was shot at 6.05pm on January 2 last year after an undercover police operation in which officers from West Yorkshire had been deployed to observe individuals including Mr Yakub, a jury at Leeds Crown Court heard.

Yesterday, Mohsin Amin, 32, who was driving the car, was convicted by a jury, following a two-week trial, of conspiracy to possess firearms with intent to endanger life.

Two other defendants, Rexhino Arapaj, 28, and David Butlin, 39, were found not guilty of the same charge but Butlin was convicted of possession of an offensive weapon, a push-knife.

Mr Arapaj nodded to the jury as he was released from the dock, dragging a suitcase behind him.

Mohsin was remanded into custody and Butlin was bailed until both are sentenced on Wednesday.

Mr Justice Turner warned Butlin that allowing him bail was “no indication” of what his sentence will be.

The court heard how the officer who fired the fatal round saw Mr Yakub holding a weapon, and felt he was an imminent danger.

All three defendants were monitored by police travelling from the Cedar Court Hotel in Huddersfield to Cafe de Akbar in Leeds Road, Bradford, with Mr Yakub in the passenger seat of a white Audi A4 being driven by Mohsin, while martial arts coach Butlin drove a white VW Scirocco with Mr Arapaj as his front seat passenger.

Mohsin and Mr Yakub entered the restaurant - with the Scirocco parked outside - and dined with two men, Mohammed Nisar Khan, also known as Meggy, and Kashif Tahir, for around 70 minutes, the court heard.

Prosecutor Peter Moulson QC told jurors it was significant that Mr Yakub had entered the restaurant carrying a bag and left more than an hour later with the same bag, but wearing gloves.

After the meeting, the two vehicles travelled towards Huddersfield, when they were suddenly stopped by police who found a fully loaded and operational Russian Baikal pistol under the passenger seat of the Audi.

Officers also uncovered a silencer and a bag of plastic ammunition in the glove compartment.

Police later discovered a string of WhatsApp messages between Mohsin and an unidentified man, known as Raa, leading up to the day of Mr Yakub’s death.

Amin, originally of Broomer Street, Dewsbury, but more recently living in Manchester, Arapaj, of Thornlea Road, Huddersfield, and Butlin, of Huddersfield Road, Holmfirth, had denied the offences.

Earlier in the trial, Amin said he was asked by Yassar Yaqub to go with him to Cafe de Akbar to meet with Meggy to sort out a dispute.

Cross-examined by Peter Moulson QC, prosecuting, Amin said he accepted all the evidence given by the armed officers about the shooting of Mr Yaqub.

Amin said Mr Yaqub had a firearm but he did not see him holding it.

Mr Moulson put to Amin: “Being mixed up with drug dealers is a dangerous game isn’t it?”

Amin agreed and said he made no comment to police questions after the shooting because he was “traumatised.”

“I’d just seen my mate shot in front of me.”

Mr Moulson said Amin was “protecting the team” by not naming anyone in his defence statement. Amin said he refused to name a man referred to as Raa because he was frightened for his life and that of his family.