Police seizure of illegal weapons bought online
DEADLY IMPORTS KEPT OFF THE STREETS OF TYNESIDE
DEADLY in the wrong hands, these fearsome weapons were ordered online and destined for homes on Tyneside.
Knives, knuckle-dusters, stun guns and terrifying ‘zombie swords’ are among the haul of potentially lethal weapons seized by Northumbria Police after being imported into the UK from across the world. All these weapons were ordered on websites and apps, but intercepted by UK Border Force before being sent to addresses on Tyneside.
And today one of the detectives in charge of investigating these weapons and the people behind their purchase has explained why it is vital such dangerous items are taken off the streets.
Det Cons Colin Davidson, of Northumbria Police’s Firearms Intelligence Group, said: “In the wrong hands all these weapons all these weapons are deadly. At the end of the day every knife off the streets is a potential life-saver. “People need to be really wary when they buy things online. Sometimes people don’t read the descriptions properly and they don’t realise they are illegal until we knock on their door. Just because you can buy it it doesn’t mean it’s legal.
“And there are certain weapons, like knuckle-dusters, where there can be no real innocent use behind it. It is made for hurting people.” Northumbria Police works closely with the UK Border Force who send the detectives details of both illegal and legal weapons that are imported into the country, destined for addresses in the force’s area.
“Illegal weapons are seized as soon as they come into the country by Border Force and they send us information about whose purchased them,” Det Cons Davidson explained.
“We have to look at that information and see if it is someone who is known to us for violence and weapons offences, or if it’s someone who’s not come to our attention before.
“Sometimes we don’t know who it is because they have used a nickname or a business address when ordering.”
After looking into the individuals who have purchased the weapons police will pay them a visit.
In some cases the items will have been brought innocently by people planning to use them in their work, or for hunting or fishing, or to be kept as part of a collection. And some buyers might be unaware that the weapons they have ordered are in fact illegal.
Some individuals are given education and advice about weapons, or a formal warning.
But in other cases they are arrested, investigated and ultimately charged with a criminal offence.
“We know that the majority of people who buy knives and other weapons online are law-abiding citizens with genuine reasons for the items they order,” said Det Cons Davidson. “However we are seeing an increasing number of people using sites which are based abroad, often in China, to buy dangerous and illegal weapons like karambits which are basically knives with a knuckle duster built-in and, realistic imitation firearms - ignorant of the fact they face prosecution for this.”
So far this year Northumbria Police has seized 190 weapons ordered by people on Tyneside, and in 2019 around 223 were intercepted and destroyed. The haul includes an illegal zombie knife with a terrifying 0serrated edge and pointed end. There are also knuckle dusters, flick knives and a tiny but deadly pointed weapon designed to be easily concealed.
“It’s tiny, but if you were to go to someone’s neck with that you have killed them,” Det Cons Davidson explained. “You can get tiny little credit card sized knives. We have got things from flick-knives up to stun devices.
“People can buy stun devices online for about £10. But if it’s disguised it can land you with a 10 -year jail sentence. They are made to incapacitate someone. “
“They are quite cheap, which is part of the problem. They will come up on someone’s phone and they will see it is £4 for a flick knife. But the next thing they know they are getting a knock on a door from us.”
Through their work with UK Border Force, Northumbria Police detectives are regulars taking dangerous weapons out of circulation.
Officers are also given the opportunity to identify people who feel they need to own knives and other weapons and help then address the issues behind this.
Det Cons Davidson advises anyone considering buying a weapon online to visit www.gov.uk where there is a list of banned weapons.
And if someone needs a knife for legal work or leisure purposes they should buy one from a reputable UK retailer to ensure it is legal.
Det Con Davidson added: “I would warn anyone considering buying a weapon online to seriously consider the consequences - is it worth risking a criminal record and is it something you really need to have in your home?”