A teenager has been jailed after a specialist police team seized two knives when they pulled over a taxi.
The force’s knife crime team took a machete and a lock knife off the streets after stopping the vehicle in Nottingham city centre at around 12.10 pm on 7 January 2025.
The team had spotted the occupants of the taxi behaving suspiciously and pulled it over in Whitechapel Street.
Mohammed Moussa attempted to exit the vehicle and flee but was quickly handcuffed by officers.
It was discovered that he had a sheathed machete concealed inside his waistband.
Moussa was arrested and charged with possession of a knife in a public place.
The 19-year-old, of Blundell Close, Nottingham, pleaded guilty to the offence and was jailed for eight months when he appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court one day later, on Wednesday (8 January).
Also inside the taxi was Laquarne Fogo, aged 20, of Cameron Road, Derby.
During searches, he was found to have a lock knife hidden in his underpants.
Fogo also pleaded guilty to knife possession and has been remanded in custody until 29 January 2025, when he is due to be sentenced.
PC Ken Tinley, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“This proactive vehicle stop has allowed us to seize and destroy two blades and place two knife carriers before the courts.
“This is exactly the sort of outcome the knife crime team was established to achieve.
“Everything we do as a team is geared towards taking knives off the streets and bringing anyone who carries them to justice.
“There is never any excuse for anyone to be carrying a blade in public. It puts themselves and anyone they come into contact with at risk of harm.
“As this incident also highlights, it can very quickly lead to you being put behind bars.”
