Deadly ‘zombie’ knives and machetes banned in UK bought easily online in Australia
DEADLY “zombie knives” banned in the UK are being sold in Australia without the buyer’s age or identity being checked properly. The Daily Telegraph bought two Z-Hunter knives and a machete online without having to provide any identification.
NSW
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DEADLY “zombie knives” banned in the UK are being sold in Australia without the buyer’s age or identity being checked properly.
The Daily Telegraph was able to buy two Z-Hunter “zombie knives” — including a 60cm stainless steel machete — online without having to provide any identification.
Zombie knives are weapons that have been inspired by horror films and include machetes, axes and hunting daggers. They often feature green splatter, the “Z” marking and serrated edges.
The knives were sent from Melbourne via Australia Post without any red flags raised.
The Z-Hunter knives come with a warning that it has “an extremely sharp edge” and it is the responsibility of “the buyer to comply with the laws in his or her area”.
The ease with which these deadly weapons were purchased comes after a spate of shocking knife attacks in Sydney, some allegedly committed by teenagers.
Pregnant woman Pei-Jiun Cheah was allegedly stabbed by a 14-year-old boy in her Mt Colah home on Thursday. The blade narrowly missed her expectant child. The boy is charged with attempted murder.
And this weekend one man was killed and another seriously wounded in two Western Sydney knife attacks. Hunuki Williams, 27, died after he was stabbed in a Bankstown unit on Saturday.
Yesterday a man was seriously wounded after he was stabbed at a family barbecue in Canley Heights.
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NSW Police Minister Troy Grant said he was concerned about “zombie knives” and would investigate whether NSW needed to ban them.
The UK introduced laws in 2016 that mean anyone caught selling zombie knives faces up to four years prison.
Its government is now in the process of introducing even stricter laws around the knives, following concerns they are becoming a “status symbol” among gangs.
The Telegraph found dozens of “zombie knives” being sold online from within Australia — including from warehouses based in NSW.
Examples included “killer machetes” being sold from as little as $12.99, “throwing axes” and a “brute zombie slayer fixed blade knife”.
Others were advertised as being specifically designed to break glass.
There are also multiple YouTube videos of Australians showing off their zombie knife collections.
Mr Grant said he was worried about the knives glamorising violence.
“NSW is aware of developments in the UK and will be reviewing our already strong laws to determine whether any changes are required,” Mr Grant said.
He said he was distressed by recent stabbings that had been carried out by teenagers, including one in Quakers Hill in June where a 15-year-old allegedly stabbed a 22-year-old with a 50cm machete.
“The incidents in Mt Colah and Quakers Hill have been very disturbing, particularly given the age of the alleged offenders,” Mr Grant said.
“Nobody wants to see any of these shocking incidents happen in our community. The NSW government is determined to ensure that community safety is maintained and the behaviour of juveniles does not escalate.”
Opposition police spokesman Guy Zangari called on “frightening” zombie knives to be banned.
“The Berejiklian government must address the issue of these types of ‘horror film’ knives being sold over the internet without any form of restriction. They have no place in the community,” Mr Zangari said.
Earlier this month former Australian Border Force boss Roman Quaedvlieg said he was concerned Sydney and Melbourne would start experiencing a rise in knife crime similar to London.
“In Australia we have been adoptive of overseas culture, it’s an effect of the intersection of globalisation,” Mr Quaedvlieg said.
“The escalation of knife attacks in London will get picked up in Australia quite quickly.”
UK Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt recently said in London the trend towards using so-called zombie knives was making medics’ jobs more difficult because of the seriousness of the wounds being inflicted.
A NSW Police spokesman told The Daily Telegraph they were unable to speak about trends relating to knife crime at this time.