Startling new figures have revealed the stark reality of kidnappings across Birmingham – with almost one crime reported every day. A total of 1,170 victims were abducted from city areas since 2020, according to police reports. Shockingly, city kidnap victims ranged from babies who had not yet reached their 1st birthday right through to elderly victims aged up to 90. Teenagers between the ages of 17 and 20 appeared to be the most likely targets for kidnap, the Freedom of Information request showed. In one of the most serious cases the city has ever seen, a 17-year-old kidnap victim was bundled into a car in Digbeth, held ransom over Snapchat and threatened at gunpoint. Females were the victims in the majority of kidnap offences, with 680 compared to 398 males. In a further 92 cases, the gender was unknown. Read more: Paedophiles and sex offenders to be banned from changing their names to close dangerous loophole The horrifying case of a woman abducted from Selly Oak is among the dozens of kidnaps targeting women across the city. Mustafa Hakim was this year jailed for life and branded a ‘significant risk’ to the public after kidnapping, strangling and raping the victim. The new West Midlands Police stats also revealed the exact number of offences for each area, with one specific Birmingham postcode seen to be worst hit by the offences. The B11 postcode – covering Sparkhill, Sparkbrook and Tyseley – had significantly more reports than any other area, with 80 of the 1,170 recorded kidnappings between 2020 and August 2023, having taken place there. Meanwhile B8, B33 and B31 had the second highest figures, with 51 kidnappings each recorded for the same time period. A new interactive map below shows all of the Birmingham postcodes with over 40 kidnappings since 2020. The new force data comes after disturbing details of one of the city’s “most serious” kidnapping cases emerged. Snatched from a snooker hall, struck over the head and bundled into a Volkswagen Golf, the harrowing story of a kidnapped teenager threatened at gun-point was described as ‘gangland stuff’ in court. The 17-year-old was abducted outside Snowhill Snooker Centre in the B5 postcode as he tried to buy nitrous oxide on September 2, 2022. He was struck over the head before four men, Nickyle Harris, Daejon Byfield, Panashe Mahachi and Danreiko Henry, drove him around Oldbury, attacking him and issuing chilling threats. During the two-hour ordeal, they pointed an imitation shotgun at his mouth, whacked him with a machete, knuckledusters and their fists as they threatened to kill him. They also sent videos to his friends demanding money, but soon realised he did not have the five-figure sums, some £30,000, they were initially led to believe. After stealing £377 in cash and forcing him to transfer more than £800 worth of cryptocurrency, they dropped him off at a railway station. Harris, of Walton Road, Oldbury, and Byfield, of Springbank Road, Birmingham, both aged 20, were jailed for ten years for kidnap, robbery, possessing an offensive weapon and having a firearm with intent. For the same offences, Mahachi, 20, of Linden Avenue, also Oldbury, was jailed for nine years and six months. Henry, 19, of Hamilton Drive, Oldbury, was jailed for eight years and six months. Byfield also admitted possessing cannabis with intent to supply. The B5 postcode where the kidnapping took place recorded a total of 39 kidnappings – one of the highest figures for the city – over the past few years. Responding to the new figures, West Midlands Police said it uses a range of tactics to bring kidnappers to justice. On the subject of kidnappings, a spokesperson for West Midlands Police said: “We take kidnap incredibly seriously, and use a range of tactics to ensure victims are safeguarded and offenders are brought to justice. Where appropriate, we will work with other agencies such as local authorities to ensure that victims who may be at risk of kidnap are safeguarded.” Exact figures for each postcode, categorised by year, can be seen listed below. B1 2020 2/ 2021 5/ 2022 5/ 2023 3 Total: 15 B10 2020 9 / 2021 11 / 2022 7 / 2023 11 Total: 38 B11 2020 14/ 2021 22/ 2022 29/ 2023 15 Total: 80 B12 2020 8/ 2021 9/ 2022 20/ 2023 5 Total: 42 B13 2020 6/ 2021 5/ 2022 13/ 2023 5 Total: 29 B1 2020 7/ 2021 12/ 2022 13/ 2023 6 Total: 38 B15 2020 5/ 2021 4/ 2022 4/ 2023 7 Total: 20 B16 2020 5/ 2021 10 /2022 8/ 2023 6 Total: 29 B17 2020 3/ 2021 3/ 2022 0/ 2023 3 Total: 9 B18 2020 4/ 2021 6/ 2022 7/ 2023 2 Total: 19 B19 2020 10/ 2021 9/ 2022 9/ 2023 4 Total: 32 B2 2020 0/ 2021 5/ 2022 11/ 2023 7 Total: 23 B20 2020 9/ 2021 8/ 2022 9/ 2023 7 Total: 33 B21 2020 11/ 2021 11/ 2022 15/ 2023 11 Total: 48 B23 2020 8/ 2021 13/ 2022 14/ 2023 11 Total: 46 B24 2020 4/ 2021 6/ 2022 14/ 2023 6 Total: 30 B25 2020 6/ 2021 8/ 2022 8/ 2023 1 Total: 23 B26 2020 4/ 2021 3/ 2022 12/ 2023 6 Total: 25 B27 2020 6/ 2021 11/ 2022 12/ 2023 3 Total: 32 B28 2020 4/ 2021 3/ 2022 9/ 2023 5 Total: 21 B29 2020 6/ 2021 10/ 2022 9/ 2023 5 Total: 30 B3 2020 1/ 2021 1/ 2022 1/ 2023 1 Total: 4 B30 2020 6/ 2021 8/ 2022 2/ 2023 5 Total: 21 B31 2020 10/ 2021 14/ 2022 14/ 2023 13 Total: 51 B32 2020 5/ 2021 8/ 2022 9/ 2023 11 Total: 33 B33 2020 12/ 2021 10/ 2022 18/ 2023 11 Total: 51 B34 2020 4/ 2021 3/ 2022 3/ 2023 3 Total: 13 B35 2020 1/ 2021 0/ 2022 4/ 2023 2 Total: 7 B36 2020 2/ 2021 0/ 2022 11/ 2023 4 Total: 17 B38 2020 1/ 2021 3/ 2022 3/ 2023 3 Total: 10 B4 2020 5/ 2021 4/ 2022 8/ 2023 3 Total: 20 B42 2020 7/ 2021 6/ 2022 5/ 2023 4 Total: 22 B43 2020 0/ 2021 0/ 2022 0/ 2023 1 Total: 1 B44 2020 2/ 2021 5/ 2022 7/ 2023 5 Total: 19 B45 2020 5/ 2021 2/ 2022 4/ 2023 3 Total: 14 B5 2020 5/ 2021 16/ 2022 14/ 2023 4 Total: 39 B6 2020 7/ 2021 7/ 2022 5/ 2023 6 Total: 25 B7 2020 2/ 2021 6/ 2022 7/ 2023 3 Total: 18 B72 2020 0/ 2021 1/ 2022 1/ 2023 0 Total: 2 B73 2020 0/ 2021 1/ 2022 4/ 2023 0 Total: 5 B74 2020 0/ 2021 1/ 2022 0/ 2023 1 Total: 2 B75 2020 3/ 2021 4/ 2022 1/ 2023 1 Total: 9 B76 2020 0/ 2021 1/ 2022 1/ 2023 1 Total: 3 B8 2020 7/ 2021 18/ 2022 17/ 2023 9 Total: 51 B9 2020 7/ 2021 17/ 2022 15/ 2023 2 Total: 41 Have you been affected by this? we would like to hear from you. You can contact us by emailing stephanie.balloo@reachplc.com
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