Crime Spotlight UK

Like everyone, we’ve been horrified by the endless reports of gang abuse of girls in our country. Even worse, it is still going on. Yet no one is taking action. As a result, collaborating with @CDP1882, we set out to build the most comprehensive archive of grooming gang activity in the UK.

The same report said Kayani had been jailed in 1993 for the same crime, had “picked up where he left off” after release, and had drug convictions dating back to 1977. The judge was told he boasted that he could obtain heroin and cocaine through contacts in Reading, and that he laundered drug money through a casino where he spent more than £250,000. One judge reportedly said police had been trying to shut the club down for years.

In 2003, Mohammed Kayani was jailed for 11 years after selling “over-the-counter” heroin from Wycombe International Club on Desborough Road. The court heard that prostitutes operated from the club to fund their own drug habits. Kayani’s operation was supported by his nephew, Amar Kayani, and “fellow drug dealer” Matloub Khan, who were each jailed for two and a half years. Kayani’s business was infiltrated by an undercover officer, and police later raided the club in what was described as the biggest series of raids mounted in Chiltern Vale for several years.

In 2017, five men were jailed for historic sexual offences committed in High Wycombe, Aylesbury and Wendover between 1998 and 2002. Mohammed Kayani received 19 years for indecency with a girl under 14, rape of a girl under 16, and allowing his premises to be used for unlawful sexual intercourse. Berkley John received 15 and a half years for indecency with a girl and rape of another girl, both under 16. Mohammad Aslam received 17 years for rape of a girl under 16. Saeed Ahmed received 18 months for allowing his premises to be used for unlawful sexual intercourse. Tariq Hussein was jailed for procuring a woman to become a prostitute.

In 2024, while incarcerated for earlier offences, Mubarek Ali was sentenced to a further 12 years for raping, trafficking and sexually abusing another 14-year-old girl between 2004 and 2008.

In 2019, another case revealed further connections between child sexual abuse and the takeaway industry in Rochdale. A victim described being abused between 2000 and 2003, starting when she was just 12 or 13. She said she had been sold for sex, first by Tanveer Ahmed, who worked as a delivery driver for Perfect Pizza. She later came into contact with Mohammed Ali Sultan, who had also been convicted as part of Operation Chalice. The same victim said she was taken to a flat above the Perfect Pizza shop “to have sex with Asians” and “lost count” of the number of men who abused her. Mohammad Rizwan was convicted in that later case of two counts of indecent assault.

In 2013, seven men were jailed following Operation Chalice, which concerned the sexual exploitation of girls in Telford. The BBC reported that many of the men “worked for or had connections with fast-food restaurants across Telford” and that some of the girls were sold for sex to workers. Officers believed the total number of girls targeted between 2007 and 2009 could exceed 100. Ahdel Ali and his brother Mubarek Ali received the longest sentences, 18 and 14 years respectively, for offences including rape, controlling child prostitution, trafficking, causing child prostitution, and sexual activity with children. Mohammed Younis allowed his flat to be used as a brothel. Mahroof Khan admitted having sex with a 15-year-old girl, but walked free due to time served on remand. Tanveer Ahmed admitted controlling a child prostitute.

In 2018 an “Arqash Zaffer” gave evidence after being attacked in Walsall by a gang of up to 15 armed men. He said he had been struck in the face with a machete and hit on the head with what may have been an axe. He also told the court that the first person he saw was Rohail Ali, holding what appeared to be a sawn-off shotgun. Zaffar could not offer any reason for the attack and admitted he did not report it to police. Zaffar named four men in total, all of whom were found not guilty. One of the men, Amar Shazad, was jailed for 17 years in 2025 for a violent attack on five victims, perpetrated by Shazad and seven others. Zaffar also named Zuabair Mehmood, who, along with Rohail Ali and two others, were jailed in 2024 as part of a Walsall organised crime gang supplying crack cocaine and heroin.

Zaffar then collected Shaban Arif, and the two drove the victim to Manchester to meet Shiraz Nassir. They travelled to Nassir’s home in Denton, where the victim was raped by Zaffar and Nassir. Zaffar and Arif then took her back to Walsall, where Arif had booked a hotel room. Inside the room, Zaffar subjected her to further abuse while Arif was present. Later, Zaffar drove her back to Birmingham, met another associate, and offered him the opportunity to stay in a hotel room with the victim. That man declined. That evening, Zaffar took the girl to another hotel, where four unknown men were waiting. The victim said they raped her one after another.

A 16-year-old girl first encountered Arqash Zaffar and Mohammed Nadim on Alum Rock Road in Birmingham, where they were driving a BMW. Days later, they approached her again and persuaded her to get in by offering her a lift to the city centre. Instead, Zaffar drove her to a secluded area, where he and Nadim sexually assaulted her in the back of the car, before taking her to Walsall.

In 2014, the Home Office announced intentions to deport Shabir Ahmed, Adil Khan, Abdul Rauf and Abdul Aziz of Rochdale for a long list of sexual offences committed against children. At least Rauf, Khan and Aziz renounced their Pakistani citizenships and appealed to the ECHR to thwart deportation efforts. In total, this gang has spent over a decade appealing citizenship revocation and deportation orders, losing at every court and tribunal. For all that time, Abdul Rauf was living and working in Rochdale as a delivery driver. It was reported last July that Rauf and Khan “could” finally be deported, but it remains unclear if this has been actioned. Rauf claimed £285,000 in legal aid, and last year commissioned the construction of a home in Mirpur. These stories demonstrate, most of all to the victims of Manchester, that not only is the Government largely incapable doing what is necessary to safeguard victims.

In 2020, Sebastian was deported, but he unlawfully returned to the UK. He was discovered living in Gorton after he attempted to make a claim for Universal Credit. He was sentenced to 18 months incarceration on the 17th of April 2026 after pleading guilty to five breaches of his sex offender requirements and a breach of his deportation order. It is currently unknown how Sebastian made it back to the UK unimpeded, but this news is deeply concerning in light of an already ineffective deportation system.

We have seen, time and time again, the government fail to remove abusers from the country following convictions. And even in rare cases when they do succeed, there's little they seem able to do to prevent their re-entry. Some examples: In 2019, Sebastian Baltatu was convicted of raping a child under 13 as part of a Manchester-based grooming gang. The gang consisted of brothers Sebastian and Ilie, and cousins Adrian and Parizian Calin. Three known victims, aged 12 to 15, were abused between 2016 and 2018. Victims were groomed, abducted and raped by multiple men, facilitated by the gang. All four were ordered to sign the sex offenders register, and three of the gang, including Sebastian, were subjected to sexual harm prevention orders.

It is practically impossible to overstate the scale of the Grooming Gangs Scandal. It's hundreds of charged and convicted criminals across the country. And that's just the ones that we have citations for. Many of these evil rapists are repeat offenders with previous violent offences and connections to drug trafficking. Yet many of them are back out on the streets again having served only 50% of already-too-short sentences. The more you look into it, the worse it gets.

@OpenJusticeUK 14/The Terms do reference "criminal exploitation" — but a national-level examination of criminal networks will be required to truly understand this phenomenon. A series of local investigations will not suffice.

@OpenJusticeUK 13/Publicly available sentencing remarks and court transcripts contain a plethora of references to drugs, weapons, trafficking and violence. Survivors have spoken on the record about their forced involvement in these activities.

1/It's promising to see Labour implement some feedback on the draft Terms of Reference. Particularly noteworthy: the pledge to investigate the role of ethnicity, religion and culture in both the conduct of, and response to, child abuse.