CCTV shows the gang attending shops to spend money using the stolen cards, after they’d violently attacked their victims - leaving them with injuries such as broken eye sockets, a dislocated shoulder, and a broken nose.
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00:00This investigation comprised of multiple offences across several different forces, multiple
00:17victims and multiple offenders. The offences occurred between April 2023 and February 2024.
00:24Predominantly victims were targeted using a dating app called Grindr. So the victims
00:29were essentially lured into parks in the early hours of the morning where they were set upon
00:33by multiple offenders, assaulted by kicks and punches, threatened with weapons such as knives
00:40and received injuries such as fractured eye sockets and broken jaws. They then had property
00:46stolen and were forced to open their banking apps and had thousands of pounds taken out of
00:51their bank accounts. Some instances the victims were kept for several hours and then they had
00:56their cars stolen. The offenders were identified through CCTV, phone work and a financial
01:02investigation. Five offenders were arrested, two offenders pled guilty to conspiracy to commit
01:09robbery and three were found guilty after a six-week trial. If you are a victim of this sort
01:14of crime or similar crime then please report it to the police. You will be supported, we'll take
01:20it seriously, we'll be investigating thoroughly and we'll do our best to bring the offenders to justice.