Police praise ‘brave’ Grindr victims as gang jailed for violent Birmingham robberies

Birmingham: So, there’s been a pretty wild story coming out of Birmingham. Police are really praising the victims who were targeted by some nasty robbers using Grindr. This gang, which was up to no good, just got sentenced to nearly 80 years in total. Can you believe that?

These thugs managed to steal over £100,000 from their victims. The poor guys thought they were just meeting someone for a date, but instead, they got robbed. It all happened over a ten-month spree in Birmingham, and they lured their targets to a sports ground before forcing them to unlock their phones and drain their accounts.

Five members of this gang were sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court. They were found guilty of conspiracy to rob, which is a serious deal. The judge pointed out that they specifically targeted gay and bisexual men, thinking they’d find easy targets with more money in their accounts.

Detective Inspector Tom Lyons spoke up after the sentencing, really commending the victims for stepping forward. He mentioned how brave it was for them to support the investigation and trial. Their courage helped the police build a strong case against these criminals, which is a big deal.

As for the gang members, they got some hefty sentences. Demalji Hadza and Abubaker Al Ezawy both got over 16 years. The others received similar sentences, and they’ll be in custody for a good while before they can even think about getting out.