Yahoo Finance Police seize more than 400 knives in weapons crackdown
Police have seized 411 knives and made 994 arrests in just one week of an anti-knife crime crackdown.
Forces across England and Wales took part in a week of activity from Monday April 26, amid concerns that violence could rise as lockdown measures are lifted.
The Metropolitan Police said officers had seized 411 blades including machetes and Rambo knives, along with 166 other weapons.
They arrested 994 suspects, executed 74 search warrants and carried out 3,227 weapons sweeps.
As well as targeting transport hubs with knife arches and drugs sniffer dogs, officers went into schools to speak to children about the dangers of carrying a knife.
It comes in the wake of a spate of stabbings in London, including the death of a 21-year-old man at a Brent Cross shopping centre on Tuesday night, the death of 14-year-old Fares Maatou in Newham, and a separate knife attack in which two girls aged 16 and 17 were injured in West Norwood.
Commander Alex Murray, the Met Police lead for violence, said: “I’m convinced that with us seizing so many knives, we have prevented further stabbings.
“As we move forward into the summer months, reducing violence and saving lives will remain our top policing priority.
“The recent incidents of violence we have seen in London reminds us exactly why operations like this are so important.
“While this operation may have ended, be assured that our officers will continue to be out on the streets every single day, carrying out these activities and using every tactic available to them to prevent violent crime.”
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