West Midlands Police Major Crime Unit helped put more than 100 people behind bars in 2025 for serious violence and drugs offences
A unit tackling serious crime across the West Midlands has put more than 100 criminals behind bars for more than 1,000 years total during the last 12 months.
The West Midlands Police Major Crime Unit (MCU) reactive teams have secured convictions for offences such as attempted murder, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, possession with intent to supply class A drugs and wounding.
A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: "The MCU is made up of a number of teams who investigate and target those involved in serious and organised crime in the region.
"This work ranges from detectives developing intelligence to identify criminals, to skilfully working through vast quantities of CCTV, mobile phone data and forensic evidence to catch those involved in crimes where lives are often put at risk.
"The MCU also run manhunts when a dangerous suspect needs arresting urgently. Officers use a range of overt and covert tactics, running 24/7, to bring a suspect in as quickly and safely as possible."
Overall, the reactive teams were involved in putting 110 offenders behind bars with sentences totalling almost 1,140 years combined during 2025.
This included a man being locked up for 32 years for attempted murder after shooting his victim at point blank range in a Dudley car park, and two men being jailed for more than 38 years for firearms offences after a man was shot in the leg in Smethwick.
Some of the unit's other recent successful prosecutions include a man being jailed for his part in a violent attack involving weapons in Walsall, three teenagers being sentenced after a boy was stabbed in a Birmingham park in March last year and two men being jailed after a man was shot in Wolverhampton.
Detective Chief Inspector Suraya Latif, of the MCU, said: "We’ve been able to successfully identify, and convict, a number of people involved in serious and organised crime across the West Midlands over the last year.
"Our teams are regularly investigating some of the most serious offences where offenders are prepared to use weapons and put lives at risk.
"We know the impact these crimes have on communities and we work closely with local policing areas to gather information, intelligence and take action.
"It's through the diligent work of officers that we've not only been able to take criminals off the streets for a significant period of time but also prevent further crime. We're committed to keeping our communities safe."
