Cheltenham Township Police Department Photo by James Short.
Cheltenham Township police arrested seven individuals Sunday morning following a reported retail theft at a Wyncote convenience store that led to the discovery of illegal firearms and other contraband, according to police.
At approximately 10:30 a.m. on April 13, officers were dispatched to the Wawa located at 8250 Limekiln Pike for a report of a theft in progress. Upon arrival, police stopped a white Nissan Sentra as it attempted to leave the scene.
Authorities said the vehicle was occupied by seven individuals ranging in age from 15 to 21, including three juveniles. During the stop, officers observed one occupant attempting to conceal a firearm under a seat.
All seven occupants were removed from the vehicle and taken into custody without incident, police said. No force was used during the arrest.
The vehicle was impounded while officers obtained a search warrant. A subsequent search revealed three loaded handguns without serial numbers, commonly known as “ghost guns.” Investigators said two of the firearms had been illegally modified to operate as fully automatic weapons.
Police also recovered a large quantity of marijuana, equipment used for programming vehicle key fobs, and merchandise reported stolen from the store.
The investigation remains ongoing by Cheltenham Township detectives. Authorities are asking anyone with information related to the incident to contact police at 215-885-1600 ext. 400 or submit tips via email at [email protected]
