Grindr gang used app to lure victims as part of reign of terror

Grindr gang (top l to r) Abubaker Alezawy, Demalji Hadza, Mohammed Sharif and (bottom l to r) Ali Hassan, and Wasim Omar, lured victims to a Birmingham sports ground and other remote spots before violently robbing them
-Credit: (Image: West Midlands Police)


A group of thugs are set to be jailed for terrorising victims they lured through apps including Grindr, before robbing them and draining their bank accounts. The five men used the dating app to organise meet-ups, including in ~Derby city centre, before robbing those who arrived and emptying their bank accounts.

Over a span of ten months, the men - all hailing from Birmingham - orchestrated and executed robberies across Birmingham, amassing a total exceeding £100,000. They committed these offences at Golden Hillock Sports Ground in Sparkbrook and Derby city centre, also exploiting the kindness of unsuspecting members of the public by feigning injury to deceive victims into assisting them.

Victims suffered injuries such as fractured eye sockets, dislocated shoulders, and broken noses, with many requiring hospital treatment, reports Birmingham Live.

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Demalji Hadza, 21, of Erskine Street, Nechells, Abubaker Alezawy, 21, of Baverstock Road, Druids Heath, Ali Hassan, 20, of Albert Road, Lozells, Wasim Omar, 24, of Wardlow Road, Nechells and Mohammed Sharif, 22, of Keer Court, Bordlesley Green, were all convicted for the series of robberies. Hadza and Alezawy entered guilty pleas on the second day of their trial, while Hassan, Omar and Sharif were found guilty yesterday, Tuesday, September 17, following a five-week trial.

The culprits created counterfeit Grindr profiles to entice four victims to parks in Birmingham, where they were assaulted, held hostage, and robbed. The victims' phones were used to transfer large amounts of money from their bank accounts while they were detained for hours, fearing for their lives.

In addition, the criminals feigned injuries to target three more victims in secluded areas in Derby and Birmingham, assaulting and robbing them when they stopped to assist. They also deceived a fourth victim into entering a van by offering him a ride home.

Among their victims were two men who were targeted on Markeaton Street, Derby, as they walked home from a nightclub in the early hours of 25 April 2023. The defendants pretended to be injured, lured the men into a grassy area, and then attacked and robbed them at knifepoint.

The culprits demanded their phones, pin codes for both their phones and banking apps, and stole approximately £200 in cash. Other victims included a man who believed he was meeting a Grindr date named 'Noah' at the Golden Hillock car park but was instead attacked by three of the defendants who threatened to stab him.

They demanded his phone and pin codes, which they used to steal £8,730 from his bank account and credit card. As the robbers departed, they instructed the victim to remain where he was for an hour, threatening to stab him if he moved before then.

They left, taking his phone and car with them.

Another victim, who had arranged a meet-up via Grindr, was brutally assaulted by the group. They punched him, pinned him to the ground and dislocated his shoulder.

The gang demanded his phone and wallet, threatening to stab him if he didn't comply.

The criminals then used facial recognition technology on the stolen phone to access the victim's banking apps. They also forced him to reveal his pin code for both his phone and bank cards.

The gang managed to steal over £25,000 from his bank account and even made him call his bank to confirm the transfer as legitimate. While holding him captive, some members of the group left with his bank cards and withdrew an additional £360 from his accounts.

Three more attacks occurred at the Golden Hillock car park. On 11 May 2023, a cyclist was threatened at knifepoint after stopping to help a man who claimed his mother had been stabbed.

When the cyclist attempted to assist, three of the defendants attacked him, stealing his phone, wallet and jewellery.

On 28 May 2023, the defendants lured a man to the same car park under the pretence of a Grindr date. They stole over £5,000 from his bank account and his van.

A similar incident occurred on 11 July 2023, when another victim was lured to the car park and robbed of more than £20,000 at knifepoint.

A five-man robbery gang wreaked havoc, stealing cash and vehicles, as well as house keys, while instilling fear with the threat of stabbings. The West Midlands Police detailed their methods: they kept their identities hidden with masks, forced victims' faces into the mud to prevent recognition, and left them stranded by taking essential items such as car keys and identification.

A police spokesperson commended the diligent work of officers: "The tenacity and teamwork of officers who watched dozens of hours of CCTV, tracked vehicles, traced financial chains and worked with forensic phone specialists, which enabled us to identify and build a case of evidence against these dangerous individuals and bring their campaign of hate crimes, motivated by the victim's sexuality, to an end. The five men were remanded and will be sentenced in November."

Detective Inspector Tom Lyons from the force's Major Crime Unit said: "This was a calculated series of robberies with Hadza, Alezawy, Hasan, Omar and Sharif, deliberately targeting victims because they believed they were vulnerable, easy targets. My team conducted a lengthy investigation which required piecing together many strands of evidence."

"I know 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. 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."

"I hope the outcome provides reassurance that we take these types of offences extremely seriously, and always do everything in our power to bring offenders to justice. Those found committing offences like this can expect to face a considerable length of time in prison."

Georgina Davies, from the Crown Prosecution Service, commented: "These defendants specifically targeted members of the LGBTQ+ community to rob them of their money and belongings. They may have thought that the victims would not report the offences, but we were able to hold all five defendants accountable for their actions."

"We worked very closely with the police to gather all the evidence against the defendants, building a strong case for prosecution. CCTV footage, witness testimony, and mobile data all played a role in securing this conviction."

Det Con Sarah Byrne praised the courage of victims, saying: "Convicting these individuals would have never been possible without the victims' bravery in sharing their accounts with the police and court. We hope that seeing these individuals being held to account for their actions will bring closure for the victims."

"I would encourage anyone who has been subject to a similar ordeal to come forward and report it to police. All reports will be dealt with sensitively and victims will be supported by specially trained officers."

A West Midlands Police spokesperson urged other victims to come forward: "We encourage any victims who have experienced similar [dating and romance] crimes and are yet to report them to the police to get in touch with us. To report a crime you can do so online following this link, (report a crime), call 101 or visit a police station."

"Dating and romance scammers lower their target's defences by building an online relationship, then asking for larger and larger sums of money. Well-meaning men and women have both fallen victim to this."

All five culprits are scheduled to face sentencing at Birmingham Crown Court on November 28 and 29.