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At the opening of the new National Knife Crime Centre (NKCC) in Bloomsbury, London, policing and crime minister Sarah Jones revealed that some children are establishing online enterprises to buy and sell knives similarly to how they trade clothes. She shared that children as young as 12 are involved in this alarming trend, highlighting a disturbing development in the way knives are being distributed and marketed.
One poignant story shared during the event was that of Nikita Kanda, whose 16-year-old brother Ronan was tragically killed in 2022 by a ninja sword purchased online, just a short distance from their home in Wolverhampton. Jones emphasized the ongoing “devastating” impact knife crime has on young lives, noting how young people are exploited and encouraged to profit within a criminal environment. She explained, “Criminals have come into that and gone ‘OK, you can do this by buying and selling knives’,” stressing the government’s need to aggressively confront this issue.
Kanda stressed the importance of tackling the online sale of offensive weapons to teenagers, warning that young people have become prime targets. She pointed out, “We know young people have been targeted online, and that means weapons are not harmless objects. They are being used to enable, inflict and escalate violence, and that is why decisive action is so important.” This view aligns with efforts underway, as ministers review responses to a consultation about potentially introducing a licensing system for knife sellers and importers, aiming to reduce knife crime by half over the next decade.
The government-funded NKCC is designed to assist police in tracking down offenders who sell illegal weapons online, often through the so-called “grey market.” Jones remarked, “It is too easy to be able to buy and sell and receive knives in this country, and we need to keep pushing to do more.” While measures target unlawful sales, the legislation under consideration will also consider those who use knives lawfully, such as martial arts practitioners. On this balance, Jones asked, “The question is: what can we do to stop the illegal sale, what can we do to stop harm and what can we do to stop knives being used on our streets?” Additionally, Kanda suggested that even those purchasing knives for legitimate purposes should be licensed to ensure accountability and responsibility for their purchases
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