A chilling Channel 4 documentary has exposed the deadly chain linking online knife sellers to the murders of at least seven people, including two teenage boys killed in brutal, mistaken-identity attacks.
Two Lives Lost to Mistaken Identity
Ronan Kanda, 16, was stabbed in the back just yards from his Wolverhampton home in June 2022. He had been returning from a friend's house after buying a PlayStation controller. His attackers, who had just collected knives bought online, tragically mistook him for someone else.
Newly revealed CCTV footage, featured in Tuesday night's episode of 24 Hours in Police Custody, shows Ronan listening to his headphones moments before the attack. Another clip captures his killer running towards him brandishing a large 'zombie' style knife.
In a separate case, 16-year-old Ashraf Habimana was stabbed with a similar weapon in Luton in September 2024. Disturbing body-worn camera footage shows the terrified boy asking paramedics, "Am I going to live?" His mother, Fiona Namusoke, arrived moments later but was prevented from seeing her dying son.
"I feel like he died by himself with nobody holding his hand," Fiona told the programme. Ashraf had texted her at 7.03pm asking if she could pick him up, but he never saw her reply.
The Online Sellers and a £360,000 Payout
The documentary investigates two brothers, Adam Eliaz, 33, and Eddy Eliaz, 46, whose companies legally imported and sold the kinds of blades used in these murders.
Adam was director of DNA Leisure, an online shop which surrendered 1,542 knives when zombie-style blades were banned in 2024. Eddy is managing director of Sporting Wholesale, which imported knives in bulk for retailers.
The brothers claimed at least £360,000 in compensation for handing their stock to police following the ban. At least seven fatal attacks have been linked to weapons sold by their companies, which found their way into the hands of youths under 18.
Ronan's sister, Nikita, said of Adam Eliaz: "He in my eyes is part of the reason why my brother is not here. He played a part because he sold that weapon, he made a profit off that weapon so he was basically profiting off my brother's murder."
The programme shows a clip of Adam Eliaz from Junior Apprentice, where he stated: "I love making money, I would do anything if it brings money into my pocket."
Lasting Trauma and Justice Served
Det Insp Ade George, who investigated Ronan's murder, criticised the brothers' attitude. "I don't think the company understood that actually something you have sold has been used to murder somebody," he said.
The medical trauma of the attacks was profound. Dr Muhammad Asaria, who treated Ashraf, described the injuries as the most severe he had ever seen. The serrated blade was designed to cause maximum damage, destroying blood vessels and causing catastrophic bleeding.
"It's something that I wake up to every morning remembering trying to resuscitate him. It's something that will live with me for the rest of my life," Dr Asaria said.
Prabjeet Veadhesa and Sukhman Shergill, both 17, were jailed for Ronan's murder, receiving minimum terms of 18 and 16 years respectively. For Ashraf's murder, Athif Hussaindeen was given a life sentence with a minimum of 24 years, while his brother Althaf Hussaindeen received a seven-year minimum term for manslaughter.
The companies defended their actions, stating they followed UK legislation at the time, including age verification checks, and blamed buyers for using false IDs. DNA Leisure said: "We do not sell these as weapons. Our products are not advertised as weapons."
24 Hours in Police Custody Investigates: Zombie Knives airs on Channel 4 on Tuesday at 9pm.
