Most unsavoury criminal of 2020: Man who tried to smuggle a SAMOSA between his buttocks is among last year’s strangest arrests
- Suspect was found with snack in his underwear at police station in Birmingham
- He wanted to sneak treat into cell as he wasn’t happy with standard of food being offered by West Midlands Police
- Another man bought officers a box of chocolates to ‘say thanks for the care he received’ from staff at custody facility in Oldbury
A police force has revealed some of the strangest arrests their officers made during 2020 – including a man who hid a samosa in his buttocks.
The suspect was discovered with the savoury snack wedged down his underwear while being booked in at a police station in Birmingham.
He told officers he wanted to sneak the treat into his cell because he wasn’t happy with the standard of food being offered by West Midlands Police.
Another man bought officers a box of chocolates to ‘say thanks for the care he received’ from the staff at a custody facility in Oldbury, West Midlands.
Others even left positive Trip Advisor reviews after spending time at a state-of-the-art custody block in Perry Barr, Birmingham.
Done for baking and entering? West Midlands police force has revealed some of the strangest arrests their officers made during 2020 – including a man who hid a samosa in his buttocks. (Above, a selection of samosas, similar to the ones favoured by the suspect)
Con-fectionery: Another man bought officers a box of chocolates to ‘say thanks for the care he received’ from the staff at a custody facility (above) in Oldbury, West Midlands
Inspector Manj Ahir, from West Midlands Police Criminal Justice department, said: ‘We’ve had a few odd incidents. One that sticks in my mind was a man found with a samosa secreted between his buttocks during a search.
‘He said he wanted to sneak it into the cell as a snack as he’d didn’t think the food was up to much. He’d obviously not read our positive Trip Advisor reviews.
‘A man was also booked in with us in Oldbury just after midnight on December 6 for an assault. He was in his 40s.
‘He had type 2 diabetes so he was checked over by the custody nurse, we got his meds from home and took his bloods through the night.
‘He also saw an alcohol referral worker as he’d had a drink for the first time in six years, which he believed led to the arrest.
‘A few days later, he turned up at the Oldbury block with chocolates to say thanks for the care he received from the staff. It was a lovely gesture.’
The force revealed they had arrested a total of 45,719 crime suspects between New Year’s Day and December 30.
Best bar none: Others even left positive Trip Advisor reviews after spending time at a state-of-the-art custody block in Perry Barr (file image), Birmingham
That included 1,527 robbery suspects, 1,692 people arrested for burglary and 1,285 held for questioning over vehicle crime.
Insp Ahir added: ‘It’s been a year like no other for us with significant demand, processing an average of 126 detainees a day, while adhering to Covid-19 protocols.
‘The team have done brilliantly, though, and our waiting times to book people into custody are the lowest nationally.
‘And we’ve been supported brilliantly by external agencies who provide healthcare, including mental health support, plus access to things like substance abuse treatment and programmes aimed at stopping re-offending.
‘We’ve also been leading the way nationally by introducing virtual remand hearings with suspects “appearing” in court via video link live from our custody suites.
‘Almost 1,200 suspects have been dealt with this way in the three months to the end of November.
‘It has sped up the process and reduced our physical contact with the courts, thus reducing the risk of spreading coronavirus.’
Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Waheed Saleem said: ‘This year, West Midlands Police has faced unprecedented challenges, but the force has consistently risen to the challenge and kept us safe.
‘The force have dealt with thousands of offenders and despite Covid has adapted to keep services running in difficult times.
‘Working with partners in the criminal justice service, we have pioneered new ways of working to keep the system running despite the pressures of the virus.’