Dating app robbery gang members have been arrested in a major police operation across the Barcelona metropolitan area.
The Mossos d’Esquadra have detained eleven young people, ten of whom are minors, for allegedly forming a criminal group that targeted victims they met through dating applications.
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The arrests conclude a months-long investigation into nine violent robberies.
Dating App Robbery Gang Used Isolated Meetups
The group’s method was disturbingly consistent. They would first contact victims through various dating apps, arranging nighttime meetings in isolated locations. However, when the victims arrived, they would be confronted not by a single person but by the entire group. The assailants would then use intimidation and violence to steal mobile phones and credit cards.
Furthermore, the coercion did not end with the initial theft. The perpetrators would extort victims for PIN codes and online banking passwords to access their accounts. Police sources indicate that most victims were homosexual men, leading to an additional legal aggravating factor of hate and discrimination in the charges.
The investigation began last March following two reports in Santa Coloma de Gramenet. Investigators subsequently linked these incidents to others previously reported in Badalona. Consequently, authorities identified a pattern connecting multiple assaults across the metropolitan region.
Months of Investigation Lead to Multiple Arrests
After months of surveillance and with authorisation from the Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office, police confirmed the group was operating as an organised criminal unit. Three initial arrests were made last May, with this latest operation representing the final phase. Officers have now identified the material authors of the assaults, other minors who used the stolen bank cards in shops, and receivers of the stolen goods.
According to the original police report, most of those implicated were on the verge of reaching adulthood. The group’s violence reportedly escalated with each incident. Three of the nine confirmed assaults were never formally reported to authorities.
This case highlights ongoing concerns about safety on digital platforms. Meanwhile, other local safety initiatives continue, such as the recent deployment of surveillance drones during major public events in Viladecans. The successful operation demonstrates coordinated police work targeting youth crime in the region.
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