West Midlands Police Condemn Malicious Hoax 999 Callers
West Midlands Police have issued a strong condemnation of two individuals who engaged in a malicious campaign of hoax 999 calls, including false reports of a baby abandoned on railway tracks. The callous actions of Shahid Khan, 31, and Zaynul Shaffi, 44, resulted in an estimated £100,000 of taxpayers' money being squandered on emergency responses across the region.
Extensive Pattern of Deceptive Calls
Over the course of 78 separate days during 2024 and 2025, the duo placed a staggering 122 false emergency calls. They utilised various mobile phones and SIM cards while altering their voices in a deliberate attempt to conceal their identities from authorities. Audio recordings released by police captured them making outrageous claims, such as having been shot, drowning a pregnant wife and relatives, and, in one particularly distressing instance, leaving an infant on train tracks.
After making these fabricated reports, the pair would then observe as emergency services, including specialist firearms and drone units, were dispatched to the locations. Detective Sergeant Ross Somerfield from Birmingham CID emphasised the severe impact, stating, "That would then obviously have the knock-on effect of potentially delaying our response to genuine emergencies." The men also falsely claimed to have seen suspects in murder investigations, further complicating police work.
Sophisticated Investigation Leads to Arrests
Despite their efforts to hide, West Midlands Police employed advanced digital policing techniques to link the hoax calls and identify the perpetrators. Detective Sergeant Somerfield noted, "They seemed to have revelled in the attention that their calls were getting and took pride in their attempts to hide their tracks through the use of different SIM cards. But we were able to link the hoax calls and used sophisticated digital policing techniques to identify and arrest the men."
One particularly egregious call occurred in August 2024, when one of the men rang 999 claiming he had abandoned a baby named Josh on railway tracks after discovering his wife's infidelity. The response was massive, with almost 20 police vehicles and more than 30 officers dispatched, plus additional personnel overseeing the search remotely. In a message following this incident, Shaffi boasted to Khan, "Got the chopper (helicopter) out," with Khan subsequently requesting he film it.
Legal Consequences and Police Warning
Zaynul Shaffi, from Sparkbrook, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to intentionally/recklessly causing a public nuisance and was sentenced to three years in prison at Birmingham Crown Court. Shahid Khan, from Bordesley Green, Birmingham, was deemed unfit to stand trial, but a jury determined he had committed the alleged acts, and his sentencing will occur at a future date.
Chief Superintendent Sally Simpson, head of West Midlands Police's Force Contact department, issued a stern warning: "Hoax calls are not victimless crimes. They have real world consequences and can mean the difference between us getting to an emergency in time to stop a crime or stop someone coming to harm, and us not getting there in time. We work 24/7 to respond to the public and provide the best service possible. Anyone who deliberately tries to stop us from doing that should know that we will take action, and as this case shows, they face the possibility of jail time."
The case highlights the severe drain on resources and potential risks to public safety caused by such malicious behaviour, underscoring the police's commitment to pursuing and prosecuting those who abuse the emergency services system.
