A police chief has warned it can be harder to buy paracetamol than it is to purchase knives and weapons online.
The Home Office has confirmed anyone caught carrying a knife “with intent for violence” faces up to four years in jail.
And online retailers – including employees who processed sales or the company’s chief executive – could face two years in prison if weapons are sold to youngsters.
Companies will be required to report any bulk or suspicious-looking purchases of knives on their platforms to police to prevent illegal resales across social media accounts.
Police chiefs and the Home Office have been alarmed by how easy it is for youngsters to buy knives online, warning blades are being bought in bulk and illegally resold on social media.
Metropolitan Police Cdr Stephen Clayman, who is the national lead for knife crime, said: “The age verification is a huge vulnerability, both in terms of at point of sale and at delivery.
“We know that through the tragic stories we hear and have heard, but it continues that there are huge flaws that need to be addressed.”
He added: “Bizarrely, it is harder to buy paracetamol in some respects than it is to buy a knife. And that can’t be right.”
Axel Rudakubana, the teenager who murdered three children and injured another eight and two adults in Southport, bought his murder weapon online despite being under-age by concealing his identity.
Other blades are bulk bought and resold illegally via social media on the so-called grey market.
Dealers post on social media sites including Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, before communicating with potential buyers on encrypted platforms to avoid detection.
The Home Office said anyone caught selling knives to children will face two years behind bars – up from six months.
Ministers will also explore setting up a registration scheme so that only responsible sellers are able to sell knives.
Ronan Kanda’s mother, Pooja, said: “In 2022, I lost my son, Ronan, to knife crime and mistaken identity. In 2023, we sat in the courtroom where we were shown a Ninja sword and 25-plus bladed articles.
“Looking at them, I knew my son didn’t stand a chance.
“Without proper ID checks, the online sale of these bladed articles played a crucial role in this tragedy. How was this allowed?
“A 16-year-old managed to get these weapons online and sold these weapons to other people.
“I knew we could not go on like this, and our fight for what was right had begun. Proper ID checks by sellers, as well as postal and delivery services, played a crucial role.
“We welcome the Government’s plans to tackle the online sale of these weapons. Retailers, social media, and sellers need to take on more responsibilities.
“We welcome the proposal of a registration scheme, where the Government will continue to implement stricter measures on the online sale of bladed articles. We have so much work to tackle knife crime; this is a much-needed beginning.
“This part of Ronan’s law will provide much-needed barriers against knife crime. I wish this was done years ago, and my son would be with me today.”
Mr Clayman led a Home Office-commissioned review of online knife sales that found 15 illegal dealers who had sold more than 2,000 knives in an 18-month period.
He said: “I could go to a legitimate dealer and buy 300 knives, and the dealer has no obligation to tell police that someone’s just bought that, or the fact I bought five knives each week for the last 10 weeks,” he said.
“We need to plug that and understand who is buying these knives.
“Because then what happens is, when they’re selling them on social media via their particular accounts, they are selling indiscriminately to children and young men, predominantly men, because there are no age verification safeguards.
“They don’t really care who they sell to.”
Last year Rayis Nibeel, a teenage drug dealer who murdered father-of-two Omar Khan, 38, in Luton, was found to have bought 65 knives online using an account set up in his mother’s name while he was under 18.
He bought dozens of weapons including kukris, bayonets and large hunting knives and sold them on for profit.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “It is horrifying how easy it is for young people to get hold of knives online even though children’s lives are being lost, and families and communities are left devastated as a result.
“Not enough has been done to tackle the online market over recent years which is why we made it an urgent priority in our manifesto and the measures today will be underpinned by investment for a new dedicated police unit to go after those who are breaking the law and putting children and teenagers lives at risk.
“We are honouring our commitment to introduce Ronan’s Law in memory of Ronan Kanda who was tragically killed in 2022. I am so grateful to the Kanda family for their endless perseverance in ensuring governments take the right actions to protect young people from further tragedy.
“This government has set an ambitious mission for the country to halve knife crime over the next decade and we will pursue every possible avenue to save young lives.”
