Police found a lethal gun stashed inside an Asda carrier bag - before discovering the criminal lifestyle a young couple had tried to hide.
Officers raided a Stockport home after receiving a tip-off about the supply of class A drugs.
They saw Jack Wilde and Tegan Heywood inside the property - along with cocaine worth around £100,000.
The pair denied any involvement in dealing drugs, but officers found messages on their phones which exposed their criminal activity.
They eventually admitted their actions before being sentenced at Minshull Street Crown Court yesterday (January 17).
Officers searched the home on Brownwood Avenue, Offerton, last February 18 after receiving information about the supply of drugs in the area.
Wilde, 24, and 20-year-old Heywood were inside the property at the time police searched it.
When first questioned by officers, Wilde admitted to having cannabis, cocaine, two firearms, ammunition and knives being stored in the property.
He also told police that all the items belonged to him and that Heywood had no involvement.
Following a search at the property, officers found a Glock 48 pistol - a prohibited firearm - stored in an Asda carrier bag, along with 9x9mm bullets and body armour.
They also discovered three 1kg blocks of cocaine, believed to be worth around £24,000 to £35,000 each, and further quantities of cocaine and cannabis in Wilde's bedroom.
All the items were seized and both Wilde and Heywood were taken to custody - where they both denied any involvement in the supply of drugs.
Wilde did admit to possessing cocaine and cannabis for personal consumption, and also claimed that air guns and knives at the address were the property of his late grandfather.
But after analysing the pair's mobile phones, police discovered that Wilde was heavily involved in the sale of drugs and Heywood would often step in to provide the service when he was unavailable.
Wilde, of Brownwood Avenue, Offerton, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm, possession of cocaine, possession of cocaine with intent to supply and possession of cannabis.
He was jailed for five years and ordered to pay a £190 fine.
Heywood, of Brownwood Avenue, Offerton, also received a 12-month community order, a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement and a two-month tag curfew after pleading guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine and cannabis.
PC Jenny Weeks, of GMP's Stockport Challenger team, said: "Although both Wilde and Heywood denied their involvement with the supply of drugs, it became crystal clear that they were lying and there were both ingrained into the chain.
"The drugs we seized will have no doubt ended up on the streets of Greater Manchester and these drugs not only have a devastating impact on not only those stuck within these supply chains but also those who consume the drugs and the people who surround them.
"We will always do our upmost to ensure this type of activity is disrupted and the perpetrators are identified and face the appropriate justice.
"I would encourage anyone who may have information related to the sale of drugs in their area to get in touch with police."
Anyone with information about the sale of drugs in their community is asked to contact police by calling 101, or 999 in an emergency.
Details can also be provided to the force on its LiveChat function at gmp.police.uk or via the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
