Man carrying EIGHTEEN deadly knives bound for violent London gangs arrested by Met

Officers from a specialist taskforce have arrested a man carrying a staggering 18 deadly bladed weapons on a London street.

The weapons, including machetes and combat knives, are believed to have been destined for violent criminal gangs in south London, which have already been held responsible for dozens of stabbings this year.

The 23-year-old suspect was arrested by officers from the Met’s Specialist Crime division as part of a proactive operation against gang-related violence.

Acting on intelligence, officers carried out a stop and search on the suspect outside Edmonton Green train station in northeast London.

Police say the man struggled with officers as he tried to resist attempts to search him.

After gaining control of the suspect, police discovered he was carrying 18 bladed weapons.

The haul included two machetes, eight combat knives and eight smaller knives.

Officers also discovered a quantity of what they believe to be class A and class B drugs inside a drawstring bag.

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The man was arrested on suspicion of both possessing offensive weapons and attempting to supply drugs.

The suspect remains in custody at a north London police station as officers continue their investigation.

Detective Inspector Lewis Sanderson, who led the operation, said: “Time and again, knife crime and gang violence have terrible far-reaching consequences that affect both the victims and the communities around them.

“That is why the Met’s operation to crack down on gangs and knife crime is so important, and it is why communities stand with us in this determination.

“This arrest is a welcome step towards removing weapons off our streets and tackling gang violence.”

The Met said it was intensifying efforts to reduce knife crime and crack down on violent gangs across the capital.

Last year, there were more than 15,000 knife related offences in London – 2,200 up on the year before.

While the number of teenagers stabbed to death last year rose to 18, five more than the number of youngsters killed in 2022.