Jonathan Soares, 20, has pleaded guilty to 12 offenses, including fraudulently evading a 2016 ban on the import and sale of zombie knives and tasers. He also admitted to possession and delivery of counterfeit cash and supplying phishing scripts for use in fraud. Soares was caught importing weapons in bulk from Pakistan, South Korea, and China for his network in London.
Soares was arrested on June 9 after being identified as the administrator of a Telegram account advertising fraud and money laundering services. At the time of his arrest, he was working as a security guard. Police seized two mobile phones. A subsequent search of his address uncovered five more phones, a laptop, an illegal flick knife, and two safes containing £7,690 in counterfeit cash.
Analysis of Soares' devices revealed over 2.5 million pictures, videos, and messages dating back four years. These contained stolen personal data and scripts impersonating banks. Authorities also identified a shipment ordered by Soares to an address in Croydon, which contained 150 machetes.
Soares and his network discussed exploiting market gaps for profit as criminals sought to circumvent tightened knife laws. He ordered weapons in bulk from suppliers in Pakistan, China, and South Korea, providing detailed specifications and even colors. On one occasion, Soares sent a screenshot of a blade from a BBC article reporting on the ban of zombie knives, requesting it be replicated.
Messages indicated Soares was selling weapons across London and encouraged his resellers to expand their operations. One such reseller, Rayhan Rahman, 18, was identified by authorities. Analysis of a Telegram group showed a parcel destined for Rahman contained 10 zombie knives and 20 push daggers for resale. Rahman pleaded guilty at Inner London Crown Court to fraudulent evasion of prohibitions for zombie knives and push daggers, and being concerned in the fraudulent evasion of prohibitions for zombie knives and flick knives. He is scheduled for sentencing on October 13.
Detective Chief Inspector Imran Beg stated that Soares sold deadly weapons with disregard for the harm they caused, even seeking feedback from buyers he knew were using them for violence. Beg highlighted how economic crime, such as fraud, fuels wider criminality and that the investigation successfully dismantled Soares' network. Commander Stephen Clayman, Head of the National Knife Crime Centre, noted that this investigation prevented hundreds of weapons from reaching communities and underscored the threat posed by online sellers circumventing legislation. Intelligence from this case led to the seizure of nearly 650 knives since Soares' arrest in June.