The National Police have dismantled a criminal gang made up of four men who robbed victims in different towns in the Community of Madrid whom they contacted through dating apps or contact platforms aimed at homosexuals. All the victims are men between 22 and 50 years old. When they met with them, they intimidated them with a knife to force them to reveal their bank passwords, make transfers to their accounts or unlock their mobile phones before stealing them. They also insulted them for their sexual orientation, beat them and even, on one occasion, stabbed one of them. The detainees are 17, 21, 23 and 38 years old and created false profiles in which they used photographs of the younger men.
The minor has been placed in a closed juvenile centre, while the other three are in preventive detention awaiting trial. The first complaint was filed in June and, until August, there was a break in which the gang ceased to operate. Afterwards, they intensified the number of robberies and the violence with which they carried them out. “At that moment, we started to investigate seriously,” said an agent in charge of the operation.
The robbers always consumed alcohol during the robberies. On one occasion, they forced one of the complainants into a vehicle while threatening him with a firearm and a knife. They drove to a gas station and forced him to get out to buy beer. When he left the establishment, they beat him until he made several transfers with his mobile phone and then stole it too.
He modus operandi The meeting was very similar in all cases: they used photos of the youngest members to attract their victims, all men, and at least two robbers always turned up for the meeting. On four occasions, the meeting was directly at the victims’ home and on the other four occasions on the street, almost always near the complainants’ home and in places with little traffic.
Once they were with them, they intimidated them with a knife. In August, they even stabbed one of them. They also insulted them for being homosexual, which is why, in addition to the crime of robbery with violence and intimidation, they will be charged with hate crimes. The alleged robbers have made off with a loot of 8,000 euros in transfers, to which must be added the cash they have stolen from the homes and personal belongings, including computers, watches and jewellery. The police have not been able to carry out searches or recover the stolen belongings.
Forced to buy beers
What matters most is what happens closer to home. To make sure you don’t miss anything, subscribe.
KEEP READING
One of the gang members “had a very distinctive vehicle,” explains the head of the operation, which allowed them to locate him on the street and carry out a series of surveillance. Thanks to this clue, they were able to arrest three of them in a park in a town in Madrid and the fourth in his own home. The police did not want to reveal more details of the method they used to identify the perpetrators because this could help future criminals to perfect their techniques.
The investigation, which lasted three weeks and was named Operation Adonis because “the complainants reported that one of the robbers was very handsome.” Although the National Police have seven complaints so far, they believe that there may be many more cases that have not yet been reported. “We encourage all victims who identify with this case to come forward and report the crime.” modus operandi to take appropriate legal measures,” added an agent in charge of the investigation.
#Gang #arrested #robbing #men #met #apps #drunk