Armed officers arrested five people and seized a gun in Kings Norton after a National Crime Agency (NCA) operation in south west Birmingham.
The arrests came after officers from the NCA’s Armed Operations Unit stopped a car in Muirfield Gardens. Five people, aged between 23 and 37, were arrested annd a handgun and ammunition was recovered.
The five are all now being questioned on suspicion of possessing a firearm.
NCA and West Midlands Police officers have also carried out a number of searches in the Rubery, Stourbridge, Shenley Fields, Northfield and Longbridge areas in connection with the arrests.
NCA Branch Commander Mick Pope said: “We have seen all too recently in Birmingham how illegal firearms are used in acts of serious violence, as well as being used by crime groups to coerce and intimidate.
“This is why reducing their availability and taking guns off the streets is a priority for the NCA and West Midlands Police.
“However, protecting communities from this threat cannot be achieved by law enforcement action alone. I’d encourage anyone with information about illegally held firearms to contact Crimestoppers anonymously or police.”