Armed gang who used Grindr to rob victims jailed

Five men who used dating app Grindr to target and attack men in a series of robberies have been jailed.

Demalji Hadza, 21, Abubaker Alezawy, 21, Ali Hassan, 20, Wasim Omar, 24, and Mohammed Sharif, 22, lured each man into a meeting before assaulting them and stealing their belongings.

The gang were convicted last year of stealing £100,000 from men in Birmingham and Derby over a 10-month period.

The group were given sentences ranging from 12 to 17 years at Birmingham Crown Court.

Police said some victims were encouraged to come to a location under the pretence of meeting with a legitimate user on dating apps including Grindr, a dating app for the LGBT+ community.

When they arrived they were set upon by the gang, who sought to steal money, vehicles, house keys and identification documents.

They also tricked other victims who were members of the public into coming to their aid when they pretended to have an injury, police said.

Some victims were held for hours against their will and left fearing for their lives while their accounts were raided, detectives added.

The men's sentences were:

• Hadza - 16 years and two months
• Alezawy -16 years and five months
• Hassan - 16 years and nine months
• Omar - 17 years and three months
• Sharif - 12 years

Judge Sarah Buckingham said: "It is clear that there has been long lasting consequences on the men who have done nothing to deserve what happened to them.

"The sentences were entirely justified to reflect gravity of offences."

Some of the injuries victims suffered included a broken eye socket, a dislocated shoulder and a broken nose.

The men were held captive while their phones were used to transfer large sums of money from their bank accounts, police added.

The gang also terrified their victims with the threat of being stabbed with large weapons while stealing their wallets and ID.

The first victims were targeted in April 2023 and the offenders operated over a 10-month period.

In most of the attacks, they concealed their identity with masks or coverings, or held their victims down with their faces in the mud.

They were seen on footage spending the money they had stolen and celebrating outside the shop, police said.

Det Insp Tom Lyons, from the West Midlands force, said the gang carried out a series of calculated robberies.

"I know that it took the victims in this case a huge amount of bravery and courage to come forward and support the criminal justice process through to trial - and I commend them for doing so," he said.

"Their evidence enabled us to launch a full-scale investigation and build a strong case, which ultimately brought the offenders to justice, and has undoubtedly prevented many other people from becoming a victim."

Speaking after the sentencing, Det Con Sarah Byrne from the force also commended the victims' bravery, saying: "I would encourage anyone who has been subject to a similar ordeal to come forward and report it to police."

Georgina Davies, from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said the five men "specifically targeted members of the LGBTQ+ community".

"The CPS prosecuted the case as a hate crime which carries with it an increased sentence to fully reflect the gravity of offending that is motivated by hostility, based on sexual orientation," she added.

"We hope these sentences provide some comfort to the victims and reassurance to communities who may feel particularly impacted by such crimes.

"Everyone should feel safe and confident when engaging with others, whether in person or online."

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