More than 500 prohibited or dangerous weapons have been seized and dozens of people arrested in a nationwide police operation targeting the illegal online sale and importation of knives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Operation Obex was launched by the National Knife Crime Centre after police obtained information about customers in the UK who had purchased weapons from a European retailer selling both legal and prohibited knives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the National Police Chiefs\u2019 Council, the retailer stopped selling knives to the UK market after being contacted by the National Knife Crime Centre with assistance from Europol. Police then examined the retailer’s sales information and identified intelligence relating to more than 300 people who had bought weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The information was passed to police forces where customers were suspected of purchasing multiple prohibited weapons, resulting in enforcement activity across several parts of England.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Metropolitan Police made nine arrests during the operation and recovered 16 weapons, including zombie-style machetes, lock knives, a shotgun and swords. Police subsequently brought 12 charges relating to offences including the importation and possession of offensive weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Greater Manchester Police made a further 10 arrests and recovered 85 weapons, while Avon and Somerset Police charged four men aged between 19 and 22 with importing prohibited weapons following three separate warrants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Surrey, officers arrested a man in Epsom on suspicion of possessing and importing prohibited weapons and possessing ammunition without a firearms certificate. More than 60 weapons that were illegal to possess privately were recovered, along with more than 270 other weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
West Midlands Police also carried out arrests in Birmingham and Walsall. Among the items recovered were zombie knives, knuckle dusters, firearms and live ammunition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The National Police Chiefs\u2019 Council said the operation was focused particularly on so-called grey-market sellers. These are people who purchase knives in bulk and then attempt to sell them through social media platforms or informal networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Police Professional reported that the operation had exposed how easily dangerous weapons can move from overseas retailers into the UK before being redistributed through informal markets. The publication said the investigation had highlighted concerns surrounding gaps in existing legislation and the regulation of online knife sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The operation also highlighted the role of Border Force in preventing prohibited weapons from reaching British streets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Commander Stephen Clayman, head of the National Knife Crime Centre, said police would continue working with Border Force to identify weaknesses that allow dangerous weapons to enter the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The issue was also raised in Parliament last week. According to a written parliamentary answer published on 3 September, Border Force seized 1,567 knives during the second quarter of 2026. That compared with 1,162 during the first quarter of the year and represented the highest quarterly figure listed in the parliamentary answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The figures show that seizures have fluctuated considerably. Border Force recorded 958 knife seizures in the third quarter of 2025 and 334 in the fourth quarter, before the number increased to 1,162 in the first quarter of 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The government said Border Force uses advance data and intelligence to assess movements across the UK border and target the illegal importation of offensive weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A separate parliamentary answer published during the same week said Border Force works with partner agencies to prevent illegal bladed weapons from entering the country. The department said its approach includes intelligence-led targeting of shipments and people considered to pose a risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The latest figures come as police forces continue to confront the consequences of weapons being sold online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A recent Metropolitan Police investigation illustrates the problem. In August, officers raided a property in Lambeth after intelligence suggested illegal knives were being imported. Ten knives were recovered from the address, while detectives alleged that the suspect was connected to the attempted importation of knives from China, including zombie knives that had been intercepted by Border Force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sky News reported that the suspect was arrested on suspicion of importing prohibited weapons and that the investigation was subsequently taken over by the Met’s Specialist Crime Command.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Metropolitan Police said the weapons recovered in the raid included lock knives and flick knives. Officers also alleged that the wider investigation was linked to prohibited zombie-style knives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Operation Obex demonstrates how information gathered from overseas purchases can be used by British police to identify suspected weapons suppliers and distributors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The National Knife Crime Centre said its investigation had identified more than 300 UK customers connected to the European retailer, although being identified as a purchaser does not itself mean that an individual has committed an offence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Police said the operation was part of a wider effort to prevent dangerous weapons from reaching communities, particularly through social media and informal resale networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Commander Clayman said the seizure of more than 500 weapons represented hundreds of potential weapons being prevented from reaching the streets. He also called for cooperation between police, Border Force, online platforms, retailers and the public to tackle the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The operation has therefore placed renewed attention on the route dangerous weapons can take into Britain, from overseas online retailers and border crossings to private buyers and grey-market sellers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With parliamentary figures showing more than 1,500 knife seizures by Border Force in the second quarter of this year alone, and police forces continuing to arrest suspected importers and distributors, authorities face an ongoing challenge in preventing prohibited weapons from entering the country and subsequently reaching the wider public.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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