WEAPONS AT THE BORDER
Figures show a huge surge in the number of people being caught trying to smuggle knives into the UK
THE number of knives seized by Border Force more than quadrupled in a single year. New Home Office figures reveal officers confiscated 16,698 bladed items in 2018.
That is compared with 3,728 in the previous year.
The increase has been largely driven by a whopping 10,994 knives seized between the months of October and December 2018 alone.
The figures come at a time when knife crime is soaring.
There were 41,884 serious offences across England and Wales that
involved a knife in the year to June 2018 - the highest number since published numbers began in 2011.
Between 2017 and 2018, the number of “other” offensive weapons seized by the Border Force - such as blowpipes, knuckle dusters, truncheons and batons also more than doubled from 3,735 to 7,548.
The number of lethal firearm confiscations, on the other hand, fell from 627 to 576.
The figures cover seizures made at all points of entry to the UK.
The Border Force works by undertaking targeted, risk-based examinations of goods arriving in the UK to detect prohibited or restricted offensive weapons.
They seize all offensive weapons and refer cases to the National Crime Agency for investigation and prosecution when appropriate.
A Home Office spokesperson said: "Serious violence destroys lives and communities and our Offensive Weapons Bill forms a vital part of our efforts to keep people safe.
“It is already against the law to import weapons such as tasers, zombie knives and flick knives into the UK.
“In addition, the Offensive Weapons Bill, currently passing through Parliament, includes specific new knives offences, in particular making it an offence to possess certain offensive weapons in private, and stopping knives being sent to residential addresses after they are bought online. “Border Force is working every day to seize offensive weapons and alongside the National Crime Agency to bring those that import these items to justice.”
The Offensive Weapons Bill - currently going through parliament - will make it an offence to possess certain offensive weapons in private, will ban cyclone knives and stop knives being sent to residential addresses after they are bought online.