News —
Zombie knife importer convicted
A man who imported illegal zombie knives and sold them online, including to people he knew were school children, has pleaded guilty after a Met investigation.
Officers initially arrested Jonathan Soares, 20 (16.03.2006), of Paulet Road, Lambeth, as part of a fraud investigation. Following his arrest detectives analysed his devices where among 2.5 million files they found evidence of him importing and selling the illegal weapons.
Using this evidence, police were able to unravel Soares’ supply-lines, identify buyers and intercept incoming shipments – seizing 650 illegal zombie knives before they reached the streets.
When Soares was arrested, detectives found he had been actively making enquiries about importing and making firearms. He was stopped by the Met before this could become a reality.
Officers have today said the operation has undoubtably saved lives and further injuries through these illegal weapons. Despite a strict ban on zombie knives being introduced in 2016, they continue to be carried by criminals. Of the serious violent incidents involving under 25s in London this year, one in ten have involved a zombie knife.
Detective Chief Inspector Imran Beg, whose team led the investigation, said:
“Soares sold these deadly weapons to people across the country, with a complete disregard for the damage they cause. In fact, he crudely sought feedback from the people he sold the weapons to – he knew they were being used to stab and injure people but continued anyway.
“He used fraud to fund his plans, showing how economic crime is often at the heart of wider criminality. Specialist detectives worked tirelessly to expose the full extent of his offending, pulling his network out by the roots.
“We will be relentless in going after the criminals who seek to financially gain from the violence that rips families and communities apart. That is why serious violence is down in London and we’re disrupting serious and organised crime groups more.”
Charges:
Soares, 20 (16.03.2006), of Paulet Road, Lambeth, was re-arrested and confronted with this evidence just two weeks after his devices were first seized, on Wednesday, 24 June.
At Inner London Crown Court on Thursday, 10 September he pleaded guilty to 12 counts including:
Being concerned in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition for zombie knives and flick knives.
- The fraudulent evasion of a prohibition for zombie knives, push daggers, rambo knives and tasers.
- Marketing a combat knife.
- Having custody or control of counterfeiting materials with intent.
- Delivering counterfeit notes.
- Making or supplying phishing scripts and banking credentials for use in frauds.
- Importing a medicinal product, Toseina, without a license.
He will be sentenced at a later date.
The investigation:
Jonathan Soares was first arrested on Tuesday, 9 June after he was identified as the person behind an account called “Financer” on Telegram, which was advertising fraud and money laundering services.
Met detectives traced Soares to the building where he was working as a security guard, arresting him and seizing two mobile phones. At his home address they found a further five phones, a laptop, an illegal flick knife and two safes containing £7,690 in counterfeit cash.
A forensic examination of Soares’ devices found more than 2.5million pictures, videos and messages dating back to 2022. A meticulous examination of this material exposed the startling extent of his criminality – including hundreds of pieces of stolen personal data, detailed scripts impersonating banks and evidence that he had imported controlled drugs.
Met detectives found messages between Soares and his criminal network from 2025-2026 boasting about finding and exploiting “gaps in the market” for profit. This included a demand for weapons within the criminal community in response to tightened laws against zombie knives in the UK.
Soares ordered weapons in bulk from suppliers in Pakistan, South Korea and China, giving manufacturers detailed descriptions, feedback and even the colours of the knives he wanted. On one occasion he even sent a screenshot of a blade he wanted them to replicate – taken from a BBC article reporting on the ban of zombie knives.
Further messages showed he was selling weapons across London, gloating about the profit he was making and encouraging his secondary sellers to grow their operations – including one who identified himself as a schoolboy.
When Soares was arrested, detectives found that he had been actively trying to expand by increasing the size of shipments, expanding distribution and growing his customer base.
He was also working to enter the firearms supply market, approaching overseas manufacturers and researching the use of 3D printing to create his own guns.
Analysis of a Telegram group linked to Soares led Met detectives to a parcel destined for Rayhan Rahman. This was intercepted and found to include 10 zombie knives and 20 push daggers intended for resale.
Rahman, 18 (21.05.2008), of Saville Road, Chadwell Heath, pleaded guilty at Inner London Crown Court to fraudulent evasion of a prohibition for zombie knives and push daggers on Wednesday, 5 August. On Thursday, 10 September he further pleaded guilty to being concerned in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition for zombie knives and flick knives. He will be sentenced on Tuesday, 13 October.
Following Soares’ arrest, officers identified a shipment he had ordered that was on its way to an address in Croydon. Officers attended the property on Wednesday, 22 July and discovered boxes containing a total of 150 zombie-style machetes.
Commander Stephen Clayman, Head of the National Knife Crime Centre (NKCC), said:
"This meticulous investigation by Metropolitan Police detectives has not only brought dangerous offenders to justice, but has also played a crucial part in preventing hundreds of deadly weapons from reaching communities across the UK.
"The case once again highlights the growing threat posed by grey market sellers - those who exploit online platforms and attempt to circumvent UK legislation by importing prohibited weapons in bulk for resale through social media. But it also demonstrates the effectiveness of a coordinated multi-force and multi-agency response, driven and supported by the NKCC, in tackling this serious issue.
"Intelligence gathered through this investigation alone enabled the NKCC, Border Force and police forces across the country to take swift and decisive action, leading to the seizure of almost 650 knives since Soares' arrest in June.
"Every weapon removed from circulation is one less opportunity for violence and one less family facing devastating loss. Our collective determination to identify, disrupt and prosecute those responsible will continue to make it harder for dangerous weapons to reach our communities."
