Five men arrested accused of targeting gay men through Grindr
A group of men have been arrested in relation to alleged Grindr robberies (Getty Images | Grindr)
Police in Malaysia have arrested five men accused of targeting gay men through fake Grindr profiles in a series of robberies.
Authorities say the suspects used the dating app to arrange meetings with at least nine victims between January and May this year, before allegedly carrying out coordinated assaults and thefts, according to reports.
According to police, one suspect would pose as a date and meet victims in public before another accomplice, pretending to be a security guard, would confront them and accuse them of engaging in “indecent acts.”
Victims were then allegedly assaulted and forced to hand over cash, jewellery, and debit cards, with suspects reportedly extracting PIN numbers to withdraw money.
Police say the group, aged between 21 and 28, were arrested in Johor and were found in possession of items believed to belong to the victims.
Three have been charged with robbery causing hurt, while two others have agreed to act as prosecution witnesses.
It’s reported that the five suspects had previous records for robbery and drug-related offences, though tests conducted after the arrests came back negative.
Police are seeking another local man who they believe can assist in the investigation.
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