A man is to stand trial accused of having a submachine gun and ammunition.
Vincent Kelly appeared before Belfast Magistrates Court yesterday for a hearing to decide if he has a case to answer.
The 30-year-old is accused of possessing a firearm, component parts and ammunition with intent to endanger life.
The alleged offence involves a gun, three magazines and 9x19mm calibre cartridges.
Kelly, formerly of Hawthorn Street in west Belfast but now with an address at HMP Maghaberry, is further charged with having a firearm in suspicious circumstances.
A third alleged offence involves possession of a prohibited gun - namely a reactivated PPS43 submachine gun designed or adapted so two or more missiles could be successively discharged without repeated pressure on the trigger.
The charges relate to the police seizure of a weapon from a taxi on the Grosvenor Road in west Belfast last November.
Kelly was arrested as part of the operation.
Standing in the dock yesterday he nodded to confirm he understood the allegations against him.
He raised no objection to the preliminary enquiry proceedings and declined to give any evidence or call witnesses at this stage.
Based on the papers before her, District Judge Fiona Bagnall confirmed she was satisfied Kelly has a case to answer.
She granted a prosecution application to have the defendant returned for trial at Belfast Crown Court.
Kelly was remanded back into custody until that hearing gets underway at a date to be fixed.
