A prisoner on trial for supplying machine guns from Germany to UK criminals has claimed he was working for a gang boss who threatened to boil-alive a close friend in a bath of hot oil if a £20,000 drugs debt was not repaid.

Alexander Mullings, a 23-year-old known as Smokey serving time in Wandsworth Prison, is facing joint charges with two men and two women for conspiracy to possess firearms with intent to endanger life.

From Friday: Inmate on trial for 'masterminding Scorpion machine gun-running ring' from his prison cell

Mr Mullings, who goes by the street name 'Smokey' or 'Smokes' is the only defendant who was in prison when the alleged offences took place between January and July this year.

All defendants, who come from across London and range in age from 20 and 55, are also charged with conspiracy to transfer a prohibited weapon and conspiracy to transfer ammunition.

Giving his defence at the Old Bailey today, Mr Mullings said he agreed to organise couriers to collect and deliver packages but he told the court he believed contained imitation firearms and ammunition.

He said he was doing it to protect close friend and co-defendant Miss Emily Ciantar, now 20, who he said threatened suicide after gang members said they would put her in a bath of hot oil if she failed to repay a drugs debt.

He said 'Streetman', an unidentified gang leader from North London, first told him stolen credit card details known as "deets" were being transferred.

But when Miss Ciantar collected a package from Reading to deliver to London she used a Blackberry to send Mullings photos of the contents - a Zoraki machine pistol, similar to a Turkish-made pistol used for discharging blank cartridges and flares. The package also contained ammunition.

Mr Mullings said he was concerned and was told by a gang member it was an imitation firearm. He admitted he knew they were coming from Germany and that it was illegal to import them.

When Mr Mullings failed to find anyone to collect and deliver a package in February he said Miss Ciantar, a full-time carer for her grandmother in Holloway, was "gun-butted" by gang members.

He said he was also told they held a gun to her head until she told them "Smokes will sort it out."

Mr Mullings said she was later given a "drugs line", effectively becoming a "receptionist" for the drugs lord, while he organised the receipt and delivery of packages around London.

He admitted drug-dealing in prison by acting "as a middleman like someone out of The Godfather". He said: "I was a middle man for outside.

"If somebody had cheese or lemon weed I would find out if people wanted it."

He said he would mark up the price per ounce, organise for it to be delivered and arrange for his profit to be collected outside prison.

He said he communicated with gang members and couriers using phone app "Textsecure" because it was "bate", meaning communication was secure, unlike Facebook-owned app Whatsapp.

Police intercepted three Scorpion submachine guns between April and June this year.

The Czech-made weapons which can fire 850 rounds a minute are famous for featuring in the Matrix and the Dark Knight movies.

The first, a semi-automatic in full working order, was seized with 10 rounds of ammo during a firearms raid in Commonside East, Mitcham.

Wimbledon Times:

Firearms raid: the Mitcham house stormed by police in April. A Scorpion machine gun was seized and nine people were arrested.

The second, similar gun, was intercepted in the post as it arrived in North London. The third gun, in full working order, was intercepted by police at the Parcelforce depo in Coventry in June.

Also on trial are Finsbury Park man Joseph Macgillivray, 55, Islington woman Sarah Anderson, 24 and Mitcham man Spencer Inglis, 24.

All defendants have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The trial continues.

GANG SLANG 

Deets - stolen credit card details

Drugs line - phone used to deal drugs

Bate - can be intercepted by police

Textsecure - a Whatsapp-style app used by criminals to communicate

Cheese weed – popular cannabis strain known for its signature musty cheese smell

Lemon weed – a cross between two cannabis strains known for their zesty lemon characteristics