This is the moment a Zombie knife importer who knowingly sold weapons to schoolchildren laughs as he films himself clutching a huge wad of cash.
Jonathan Soares, 20, was caught importing weapons in bulk from Pakistan, South Korea and China to be sold by his criminal network in London.
It was heard in court that the Brixton, south London, resident had also tried to enter the firearms supply unit prior to his arrest in June.
He admitted 12 offences including fraudulently evading a 2016 ban on the import and sale of zombie knives and tasers, possession and delivery of counterfeit cash and supply of phishing scripts for use in fraud this week at the Old Bailey.
Footage shared by the Metropolitan Police ahead of Soares’ sentencing shows the 20-year-old brazenly flaunting cash while covering his face with a balaclava.
Other videos, meanwhile, showed the ‘Financier’ – as he dubbed himself – putting thousands of pounds through a money counter.
Soares was first arrested on June 9 after officers identified him as the person behind a Telegram account advertising fraud and money laundering services.
He was cuffed at a building where he was working as a security guard, with police seizing two mobile phones. At a subsequent search of his address, officers found a further five phones, a laptop, an illegal flick knife and two safes containing £7,690 in counterfeit cash.
Zombie knife importer Jonathan Soares, 20, is seen showing off a huge wad of cash in a video released by the Metropolitan Police
The Brixton, south London, relative was caught importing hundreds of machetes to the United Kingdom ready for them to be resold
He pleaded guilty to 12 offences including fraudulently evading a 2016 ban on the import and sale of zombie knives and tasers, possession and delivery of counterfeit cash and supply of phishing scripts for use in fraud
More than 2.5million pictures, videos and messages dating back four years were later found on Soares’ devices, revealing he had stolen personal data and kept detailed scripts impersonating banks.
Officers also identified a shipment which Soares ordered to an address in Croydon, which was found to contain a shocking 150 machetes.
Footage shared this week showed police’s reaction when they opened cardboard boxes filled with the weapons, with one crying: ‘You’re joking! Oh my God! Jesus Christ! There’s loads in there!’
Messages show Soares and his criminal network boasting about finding and exploiting ‘gaps in the market’ for profit after criminals sought to evade tightened laws against knives.
The security guard ordered the weapons in bulk from suppliers in Pakistan, China, and South Korea, giving manufacturers detailed descriptions and even colours of the knives he wanted.
On one occasion he sent a screenshot of a blade he asked them to replicate – taken from a BBC article reporting on the ban of zombie knives.
Other messages showed he had been selling weapons across London and encouraged his secondary sellers to grow their operations – one of whom identified himself as a schoolboy.
The Met’s investigation eventually led them to Rayhan Rahman, one of Soares’ resellers who lived at an address in Chadwell Heath, north London.
Analysis of a Telegram group revealed that a parcel destined for Rahman contained 10 zombie knives and 20 push daggers intended for resale.
Rahman, 18, pleaded guilty at Inner London Crown Court to fraudulent evasion of a prohibition for zombie knives and push daggers, as well as being concerned in the fraudulent of a prohibition for zombie knives and flick knives.
He will be sentenced on Tuesday, October 13.
Detective Chief Inspector Imran Beg, whose team led the investigation, said: ‘Soares sold these deadly weapons to people across the country, with a complete disregard for the damage they cause. In fact, he crudely sought feedback from the people he sold the weapons to – he knew they were being used to stab and injure people but continued anyway.
Four huge zombie knives imported from abroad are pictured
On one occasion Soares sent a screenshot of a knife which he wanted made and imported – which was taken from a BBC article reporting on the ban of zombie knives
Rayhan Rahman, 20, pleaded guilty at Inner London Crown Court to fraudulent evasion of a prohibition for zombie knives and push daggers, as well as being concerned in the fraudulent of a prohibition for zombie knives and flick knives
‘He used fraud to fund his plans, showing how economic crime is often at the heart of wider criminality. Specialist detectives worked tirelessly to expose the full extent of his offending, pulling his network out by the roots.
‘We will be relentless in going after the criminals who seek to financially gain from the violence that rips families and communities apart. That is why serious violence is down in London and we’re disrupting serious and organised crime groups more.’
Commander Stephen Clayman, Head of the National Knife Crime Centre (NKCC), said: ‘This meticulous investigation by Metropolitan Police detectives has not only brought dangerous offenders to justice, but has also played a crucial part in preventing hundreds of deadly weapons from reaching communities across the UK.
‘The case once again highlights the growing threat posed by grey market sellers – those who exploit online platforms and attempt to circumvent UK legislation by importing prohibited weapons in bulk for resale through social media.
‘But it also demonstrates the effectiveness of a coordinated multi-force and multi-agency response, driven and supported by the NKCC, in tackling this serious issue.
‘Intelligence gathered through this investigation alone enabled the NKCC, Border Force and police forces across the country to take swift and decisive action, leading to the seizure of almost 650 knives since Soares’ arrest in June.
‘Every weapon removed from circulation is one less opportunity for violence and one less family facing devastating loss. Our collective determination to identify, disrupt and prosecute those responsible will continue to make it harder for dangerous weapons to reach our communities.’
