A recent Cape Town court hearing exposed the tactics of the Grindr Gang, revealing how three Sowetan men have been using a popular dating app to kidnap and extort their victims.
Also read: Three arrested in Woodstock for Grindr robberies
Mlungisi Vincent Mbutu, Bongani Zulu and Zwelakhe Ngwenya appeared in the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
They were arrested on charges of kidnapping and extortion, and have been linked to similar cases in Gauteng, where Zulu and Ngwenya previously appeared in court.
On Tuesday, Prosecutor Luzaan Williams stated that they use the same modus operandi.
As reported by News24, the suspects lure users on Grindr (a social networking app for LGBTQ people) to an address under false pretences. They then hold the victims captive until they or family members transferred money to their bank accounts.
On 14 June, a missing 50-year-old man was found at a house in Woodstock after Hawks detectives traced irregular banking activities on his account.
‘Upon receiving the information, analysis was made and linking the information to suspicious banking activities and transfer patterns by the suspects to various banks,’ Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani said at the time.
‘This led the team to track the hostage’s phone which was active in the Woodstock area.’
Just a few days earlier, on 11 June, a 45-year-old man was ambushed by two suspects in Bo-Kaap. He was reportedly strangled, tied up, stripped and filmed.
The suspects, who were armed with a firearm and a knife, threatened to kill him and forced him to pay R3 000.
‘According to reports the complainant, a male aged 45, met an unknown male at an identified premises in Shortmarket Street, Bo-Kaap on Tuesday 11 June 2024. They were joined by two unknown armed males who assaulted the complainant and robbed him of an undisclosed amount of cash,’ said police spokesperson Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi.
‘The suspects tied the victim and fled the scene. The victim managed to untie himself and reported the matter to the police for further investigation. Cape Town Central police registered a case of robbery with a firearm for further investigation.’
Three suspects, aged 33 to 37 were arrested.
Williams also said the State plans to oppose bail in the interest of the public.
The trio is due to appear in court again on 3 July.
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Picture: Jorge Fernández / Unsplash