Group of robbers who used dating apps to lure victims jailed

A group of five men who used dating apps such as Grindr to lure victims to a location before violently assaulting them and stealing their belongings have been jailed, West Midlands Police said.

Demalji Hadza, 21, Abubaker Alezawy, 21, Ali Hassan, 20, Wasim Omar, 24, and Mohammed Sharif, 22, lured victims under the pretence they were meeting a legitimate person before they were assaulted and had their belongings stolen.

Over the course of 10 months, the group conspired, planned and committed robberies across Birmingham resulting in the theft of more than £100,000.

Police said they carried out the offences at Golden Hillock Park, in South Birmingham and in Derby city centre between 2023 and 2024.

The group appeared at Birmingham Crown Court on Monday where they were handed sentences ranging from 12 to 17 years.

Hadza was sentenced to 16 years and two months, Alezawy 16 years and five months, Hassan 16 years and nine months, Omar 17 years and three months and Sharif 12 years and three months.

Hadza and Alezawy pleaded guilty on day two of the trial, according to police, while Hassan, Omar and Sharif were found guilty on 17 September last year, following a six-week trial.

The group used dating apps such as Grindr to convince users they would be meeting up with a legitimate person. They would then be trapped before being violently assaulted and having their belongings stolen.

While being held for hours, their phones were used to transfer large sums of money out of their bank accounts.

Vehicles, house keys, wallets and identification documents were also stolen, and victims were often threatened with large weapons before being left stranded.

Police said those who were targeted were left with injuries including broken eye sockets, dislocated shoulder and a broken nose. Many of them required treatment in hospital.

The group would also pretend to be injured to trick members of the public into helping them. According to police, in one incident the men pretended their car had broken down in Derby and, when two members of the public went to assist them, they were assaulted and robbed.

In most of the attacks, the suspects concealed their identity with masks or face coverings or held their victims down with their faces in the mud to prevent them from being able to identify them.

Footage showed the men attending cashpoints where they would also withdraw sums of money, according to police. They would also attend shops to spend money using the stolen cards and were seen celebrating outside the shop.

Detective Inspector Tom Lyons, from the Birmingham Local Policing Area, 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 that 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 today’s sentencing 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.”

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Constable Sarah Byrne of West Midlands Police, added: “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.”