A sword and “Rambo” knives were among weapons seized by police during a month-long crackdown on street violence.
The Met’s Winter Nights operation saw 2,190 arrests as 292 knives and 132 other weapons were seized.
Uniformed and covert officers used stop and search powers, knife arches and number plate recognition technology amid rising violent crime fuelled by drugs.
Last year, 149 people were killed in the capital, an 11-year high. Victims included 25 teenagers, the highest number since 2018.
Cocaine was among Class A drugs found in 1,258 seizures by the Met’s Violent Crime Taskforce, armed, roads, mounted and dogs units. City of London and British Transport Police also assisted with 3,595 weapons sweeps between December 2 and January 5.
Commander Jane Connors said: “Our officers worked tirelessly to ensure the public could, rightly so, enjoy their celebrations safely, as Christmas is such a special time of the year to many people.” She said the Met was continuing efforts to “identify and pursue offenders” into the new year.
