Illegal and dangerous weapons such as stun guns, pepper spray and knuckledusters are routinely sold on Amazon's UK website, a Guardian investigation has revealed.
Banned items including some reputedly developed for the military and police, many of them disguised as everyday objects, have been put on sale on the site in breach of UK firearms and offensive weapons laws.
Through test purchases, the Guardian was able to buy a stun gun disguised as a torch and a baseball cap containing a hidden stabbing knuckleduster from independent sellers in the US and Israel. On the customs paperwork the packages were listed as "LED flashlight" and "toy part" respectively.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Latest Videos FromThe Week
Despite being the subject of an ongoing investigation in Scotland, Amazon still has listings for a model pistol and pepper spray.
The revelation that such weapons are being sold so openly comes weeks after the high-profile conviction of Nathan Matthews for the murder of Becky Watts. At the trial, the jury heard how Matthews had bought two stun guns, similar to those acquired by the Guardian, disguised as torches via the internet.
While Amazon provides sellers with a list of 42 banned weapons, many are capable of doubling up as everyday objects.
In a statement, Amazon said that all of its sellers "must follow our selling guidelines and those who don't will be subject to action including potential removal of their account". It added that the products in question are "no longer available".
A spokesperson from the National Crime Agency (NCA) warned that such items are "not harmless souvenirs or toys – they are dangerous weapons capable of causing serious harm and facilitating further crime". The NCA added: "Importing them isn't worth the risk when you consider that you can spend five years in prison."
