Teen drug dealer bought 65 knives online using mum's account before murdering rival in Luton

A 17-year-old drug dealer convicted of murdering a father-of-two had bought 65 knives online in the months before the killing.

Rayis Nibeel used an account set up in his mother's name to buy the knives despite being under 18.

St Albans Crown Court heard he bought dozens of weapons including kukris, bayonets and large hunting knives and sold them on for profit.

Nibeel was sentenced to 20 years at St Albans Crown Court on Friday for fatally stabbing Omar Khan, 38, in a dispute over drugs in Luton in September last year.

In her sentencing remarks, Mrs Justice Foster said: “Mr Nibeel had made a number of orders over the previous few months for a huge quantity of knives – some 65 bladed articles costing over £1,200, none of which had a legitimate purpose in your possession of them – and all but a handful of which you had disposed of by the time of these offences.

“You had created a customer account in your mother’s name to make the knife purchases, paying for all but a very few out of your own account, and arranging for them to be delivered to your home address.

“You explained you sold weapons to make extra money, and armed yourself because of your drug dealing.”

Last week, police chiefs warned under-18s buying knives online remains a serious concern and said senior officers have met with retailers and social media firms to try to stop illegal sales.

The national lead for policing knife crime, Commander Stephen Clayman, said knives are being sold illegally to under-18s through social media channels including TikTok, Snapchat and those run by Meta.

Nibeel was publicly named after the BBC successfully applied for restrictions preventing the naming of defendants under the age of 18 to be lifted.

He was sentenced alongside co-defendant Umer Choudhury, 18, who was given a term of 18 years for the murder.

The court heard Nibeel stabbed Mr Khan with a 28cm knife when he tried to steal drugs from the pair.

Nibeel, who was 16 at the time, then stabbed and seriously injured a woman who was with Mr Khan, as Choudhury egged him on.

Nibeel was given seven-and-a-half years for the non-fatal stabbing and Choudhury six-and-a-half years to run concurrently, along with separate terms for drugs offences of two years for Nibeel and two years and nine months for Choudhury.

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