DNA Leisure Stops Selling Blades After Teenagers Use Knives for Murder
DNA Leisure, an online retailer previously selling knives and swords, announced that it would no longer sell bladed articles following several teenage murders linked to its products. This decision comes after Rayis Nibeel, a 17-year-old who murdered Omar Khan in Luton, used a knife purchased from the website.
Between January and September of last year, Nibeel bought 79 knives, swords, and machetes from DNA Leisure, and the knife used to kill Khan on 16th September 2023 was one of those purchases. Nibeel, who was just 16 at the time, had fraudulently used his mother’s identity to place the orders, a claim DNA Leisure had previously made when discussing the issue.
Although DNA Leisure had complied with UK laws regarding the sale of blades, the company announced on its website that it would stop selling knives and swords effective from June 13th, 2023. The decision follows mounting concerns about the use of its products in multiple violent crimes.
The company also confirmed that it would be selling its remaining stock to overseas buyers, in line with its plan to end the sale of bladed items altogether once the stock is depleted. Some items from the site had already been marked for clearance, with several large knives and swords discounted before the ban on such weapons comes into effect in September.
The retailer, based on the outskirts of Luton and operated by 31-year-old Adam Eliaz, had previously been linked to other murders. In 2022, a sword bought from DNA Leisure was used in the murder of Ronan Kanda, and in the same year, another blade was used in the killing of 16-year-old Rahaan Amin in London.
While DNA Leisure has now stopped selling knives, experts have criticized the company’s failure to raise concerns about the high volume of purchases made by Nibeel and other minors. Gavin Hales, a senior associate fellow at the Policing Foundation, emphasized that the company’s previous indifference to the frequency of such purchases was “inexcusable.”
Despite the tragic events, Hales acknowledged the company’s decision to end the sale of knives, calling it the right step to help curb the growing problem of knife violence, particularly among young people.
DNA Leisure’s policy change follows mounting public and legal pressure over its role in the circulation of dangerous weapons. The company now faces greater scrutiny after its knives were tied to three murders committed by teenagers under 18.