Birmingham Men Convicted for Widespread Hoax 999 Calls
Two men from Birmingham have been convicted for making more than 100 hoax 999 calls, which resulted in an estimated £100,000 in wasted emergency resources. Shahid Khan, aged 31, and Zaynul Shaffi, aged 44, carried out their deceptive activities over 78 different days in 2024 and 2025.
Elaborate Scheme to Evade Detection
The pair used multiple handsets and SIM cards, frequently changing their accents in an attempt to conceal their identities. Their calls included false reports of shootings, claims of drowning a pregnant wife and family, and even an incident where they alleged leaving a baby on train tracks.
In August 2024, one of the men called 999 to report abandoning a baby named Josh on train tracks after discovering his wife's infidelity. During the police response, Shaffi messaged Khan, stating, "Got the chopper (helicopter) out," with Khan requesting a video of the scene.
Significant Emergency Response Wasted
Nearly 20 police vehicles and over 30 officers were dispatched to the false reports, with additional staff coordinating searches remotely. The men also falsely claimed to have seen suspects in murder investigations, further diverting critical police resources.
Detective Sergeant Ross Somerfield from Birmingham CID commented, "The calls were often very serious and sinister, resulting in immediate responses from specialist officers including firearms and drone units. That would then obviously have the knock-on effect of potentially delaying our response to genuine emergencies."
Digital Policing Techniques Lead to Arrests
Despite their efforts to hide their tracks, police used advanced digital policing techniques to link the hoax calls and identify the perpetrators. Shaffi, of Barrows Road, Birmingham, admitted to intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance and was sentenced to three years in prison at Birmingham Crown Court on April 7.
Khan, of Whichford Grove, Birmingham, was deemed unfit to stand trial, but a jury found he committed the acts charged. His sentencing is scheduled for a later date.
Strong Message from Police Leadership
Chief Superintendent Sally Simpson, head of West Midlands Police's Force Contact department, emphasized, "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."
She added, "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."
