Key facts
- Police used a circular saw to breach a flat in Lambeth, London, during a dawn raid.
- A man in his 20s was arrested on suspicion of importing prohibited weapons.
- Ten weapons, including lock and flick knives, were recovered from the property.
- The suspect is allegedly linked to importing knives, including banned zombie knives, from China.
- Border Force had intercepted some of the weapons before they reached the streets.
Armed police used a circular saw to cut down the door of a suspected knife smuggler's flat in Lambeth, south London, during a dawn raid. Body-worn footage captured the moment officers breached the property shortly after 5am on Tuesday.
Intelligence suggested illegal knives were being imported into the UK and linked to the address. Inside, officers recovered ten weapons, including lock knives and flick knives. A man in his 20s was arrested at the property on suspicion of importing prohibited weapons and taken into custody.
Detectives stated the suspect is linked to the attempted importation of a significant number of knives from China, including zombie knives, which were intercepted by Border Force. Detective Chief Inspector Kara Moulds emphasized the danger of such weapons, stating, "These knives have no place on London's streets."
Zombie knives and machetes were added to the list of prohibited weapons in England and Wales in September 2024. The Metropolitan Police's operation is part of ongoing efforts to tackle knife crime. In a previous two-week crackdown, Operation Sceptre, officers arrested 243 people and seized 159 knives.