Apprentice Star and Brother Profit from Controversial Knife Surrender Scheme
Two brothers, including a former contestant on Lord Sugar's Young Apprentice, have received nearly £400,000 from a taxpayer-funded government scheme after surrendering thousands of zombie knives and ninja swords. Adam Eliaz, who appeared on the BBC show in 2010 aged 17, and his older brother Eddy have been accused of profiting from the sale of weapons linked to at least 14 murders across Britain.
Multi-Million Pound Knife Empire Linked to Multiple Deaths
Police investigations have revealed that blades sold through Adam's business, DNA Leisure, and Eddy's website, Sporting Wholesale, have been connected to numerous fatal attacks. Among the victims was 16-year-old Ronan Kanda, who was stabbed with a 22-inch ninja sword in Wolverhampton in June 2022. The weapon had been purchased from DNA Leisure for just £16.99.
The brothers operated their knife-selling empire from warehouses in Luton, Bedfordshire, until the government implemented a comprehensive ban on zombie knives on September 24, 2024. The new legislation makes it illegal to own any knife with a sharpened blade longer than 8 inches (20cm) that also features specific dangerous characteristics including serrated edges, multiple holes in the blade, spikes, or more than two sharp points.
Massive Payout from Compensation Scheme
Following the ban announcement, the Home Office launched a month-long compensation scheme offering a minimum of £10 for each surrendered knife. According to official police and Home Office figures, the Eliaz brothers accounted for a staggering 78 percent of the 47,795 knives handed in during this period.
Adam's DNA Leisure surrendered 1,500 knives, while Eddy's Sporting Wholesale turned in 35,800 weapons. This resulted in combined payments of at least £373,000 to the brothers from the taxpayer-funded program. The scale of their participation has raised significant concerns about the scheme's design and implementation, with critics highlighting what they describe as "huge flaws" in the system.
Home Office Underestimated Participation Dramatically
An internal Home Office impact statement reveals that officials initially anticipated only 472 blades would be surrendered, with an expected total payout of approximately £14,000. The actual figures represented a massive underestimation, with the Eliaz brothers alone receiving more than 26 times the predicted total compensation amount.
Before the ban took effect, Adam Eliaz faced criticism for encouraging customers to purchase his remaining stock of zombie knives. However, it was the substantial payments received through the surrender scheme that drew particular ire from the families of knife crime victims.
Brothers' Business Background and Defense
Adam Eliaz left school at 16 and established his first business selling fishing and camping equipment before appearing on Young Apprentice. He founded DNA Leisure in 2012 with support from his brother Eddy, who owned Sporting Wholesale, a bulk importer sourcing products cheaply from China for UK retailers.
By 2017, Sporting Wholesale was reporting annual turnover of £8 million with profits exceeding £2.5 million. Recent financial records show the businesses maintained substantial equity, though their stock value decreased significantly in the year leading up to the ban.
Both companies sold items under the Anglo Arms brand and specialized in fishing, shooting, and archery equipment. They maintain that they did not sell knives prohibited under legislation at the time of sale and complied immediately when laws were updated.
Victim's Family Confronts Knife Seller
After her brother's murder, Ronan Kanda's sister Nikita wrote to Adam Eliaz, questioning how many of his sales had "fallen into the wrong hands and led to innocent people being murdered." In a response described as chilling by the family, Adam compared collecting zombie knives to stamp collecting, writing that customers bought them "just to keep at home" and that they were "no more dangerous, really."
Nikita told the Daily Mail: "It is sickening to think how many murders Adam and Eddy Eliaz have been linked to through selling disgusting knives that are clearly designed to seriously harm or kill, yet marketed as harmless 'collectibles.'"
She added: "He made profit off that weapon so as I see it, he was basically profiting off my brother's murder."
Legal Proceedings and Industry Impact
Ronan Kanda's killers, 16-year-olds Prabjeet Veadhesa and Sukhman Shergill, were jailed for life in July 2023 with minimum terms of 18 and 16 years respectively. During their trial, Mr Justice Chowdhury noted Veadhesa had an "unhealthy fascination with knives" and that the weapons he purchased were "frightening even to look at."
The judge specifically addressed businesses engaged in similar trade, stating they should "reflect on their facilitation of knife crime and the devastating consequences for the lives of so many."
The brothers are understood to be considering legal action over their portrayal in a Channel 4 documentary about zombie knives, claiming email exchanges were selectively edited. They declined to participate in the documentary and have disputed making substantial profits from the surrender scheme.
Government Response and Ongoing Concerns
A Home Office spokesperson stated: "This government is committed to halving knife crime in a decade. Knife enabled homicides and robberies are down, and we have already banned zombie-style knives, machetes and ninja swords. This has taken 60,000 knives off the streets and removed deadly weapons from circulation."
Despite this claim, questions remain about the compensation scheme's effectiveness and whether it inadvertently rewarded businesses that had profited from selling dangerous weapons. The case highlights ongoing challenges in balancing enforcement measures with unintended consequences when implementing new legislation targeting knife crime.
