Concerns Over Online Knife Sales and Age Verification
Authorities have raised alarming concerns regarding the ease with which children can purchase knives online, often finding it more accessible than buying paracetamol. Metropolitan Police Commander Stephen Clayman, who is also the national lead on knife crime, stated, “Bizarrely, it is harder to buy paracetamol in some respects than it is to buy a knife. And that can’t be right.”
Mr. Clayman led a comprehensive review commissioned by the Home Office, which uncovered 15 illegal dealers responsible for selling over 2,000 knives within an 18-month timeline. He emphasized the alarming lack of oversight in legitimate knife sales: “I could go to a legitimate dealer and buy 300 knives, and the dealer has no obligation to inform the police about my purchase, or the fact that I bought five knives each week for the last 10 weeks.” He highlighted the urgency of addressing this issue, stating, “We need to plug that and understand who is buying these knives.”
In addition to legitimate sales, many knives are being bulk purchased and resold illegally through social media platforms operating in a so-called grey market. These dealers often promote their wares on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, before shifting conversations to encrypted messaging services to evade law enforcement.
“What happens is that when they’re selling them on social media, they are selling indiscriminately to children and young men—predominantly men—because there are no age verification safeguards in place,” Mr. Clayman noted. “They don’t really care who they sell to.”
This disturbing trend coincides with the Home Office’s announcement of a series of anti-knife crime initiatives aimed at curbing this issue. These measures will compel retailers to report bulk or suspicious knife sales to law enforcement and will implement stricter penalties for those selling weapons to minors. This initiative has been collectively named Ronan’s Law, in honor of Ronan Kanda, a teenager whose tragic death prompted his family, particularly his mother Pooja and sister Nikita, to advocate for legal reform.
The latest proposals build upon previous announcements that require knife buyers to present photo identification at both the point of sale and upon delivery. Mr. Clayman stressed the critical need for age verification: “The age verification is a huge vulnerability, both in terms of the point of sale and at delivery.” He added, “We know this through the tragic stories we hear and have heard, but it continues that there are huge flaws that need to be addressed.”
Notable cases illustrate the gravity of the issue. Axel Rudakubana, a teenager who committed a horrific act of violence, purchased the weapon online while concealing his identity despite being underage. Another case involved Rayis Nibeel, a teenage drug dealer who murdered 38-year-old father Omar Khan in Luton. Nibeel was found to have acquired 65 knives online through an account set up in his mother’s name while still under 18, including various deadly weapons such as kukris and bayonets, which he later resold for profit.
Similarly, one of the teenage assailants responsible for the murder of 16-year-old Ronan Kanda managed to purchase over 20 knives online, often using his mother’s identification to bypass any checks. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper addressed the issue, stating, “We need stronger action to tackle this dangerous knife crime that is killing children. We’ve seen lethal weapons in the hands of children, and we cannot go on with families being devastated in this way.”
The proposed measures include the establishment of a new offense regarding the possession of a weapon with intent to commit violence. Currently, a similar offense exists for firearms but not for knives. Additionally, plans are underway to pilot a new national police unit specifically focused on combating online knife sales.
