A major operation by the Met Police to target knife crime has resulted in 243 arrests and the seizure of 159 knives.
The two-week operation, part of Operation Sceptre, targeted high-risk offenders using a data-drive approach to identify suspects.
Video released by the Met showed dramatic footage of a number of the arrests, which took place during stop and searches.
Officers can be seen arresting a man in Hillingdon after finding a large zombie knife tucked in his waistband.
Another clip shows officers locating a man they are searching for while driving, before jumping from their vehicle to arrest him on Delafield Road in Greenwich.
More footage shows an officer sprinting through a park to chase down a 17-year-old boy in Bush Hill Park in Enfield, before arresting him for robbery and possession of a knife.
Eighty-eight of the arrests came directly from the data-led approach, which used information and intelligence held on a number of Met systems to identify those offenders who posed the highest risk of harm to Londoners.
The Met has used similar methods in its V100 programme in recent years, which targets offenders who pose a risk to women and girls, but this is the first time it has been used against knife crime suspects.
The remaining arrests came through police action, with officers targeting known gang members, carrying out weapon sweeps, and focusing on those selling the knives in person and online.
Stop and search played a big part in the operation, with 77 stops leading to knives being recovered and arrests being made.
Knife test purchase operations were carried out at 72 shops to identify those involved in the sale of illegal knives, or the sale of knives to people under 18.
Commander James Conway, the Met’s frontline policing lead, said: “Tackling knife crime remains one of our top priorities and through interventions like Operation Sceptre, we’re making real progress.
“By being proactive and directing our resources at those who pose the greatest risk, we have driven knife-enabled crime down by 17 per cent in a year. We’re not complacent and are determined to reduce it even further.
“243 arrests in two weeks is a significant achievement. It's a 67 per cent increase compared to the last time Op Sceptre ran in November 2025.
“That progress can be credited in part to the use of technology to bring intelligence and information together to allow us to intervene more precisely, but also to changes we’ve made to how we deploy proactive policing teams in their local areas where they can have a greater impact on the crimes blighting communities.
“The 159 knives seized is 69 higher than in November. It adds to the more than 3,000 weapons officers removed from the streets last year.
“Too often we see the devastating impact of senseless violence involving knives, including the impact it has not just on families who lose loved ones but on entire communities. Every knife removed and every suspect arrested has the potential to prevent serious harm or save a life.”
The Met urged people to continue to report crime in their community, by calling 101, or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
