AFGHAN GAY APP ROBBERS CONVICTED:

Two Afghan men used popular ‘GAY’ dating app Grindr to lure their homosexual victims before stealing phones, cash and identities in a bold, intimate crime spree.

The Afghan asylum seekers have now been convicted over the calculated and meticulously organised burglary and fraud operation that was enabled by their personal involvement with the ‘GAY’ dating app Grindr to identify and target homosexual victims across London in what police described as a:

“Callous, pre-planned campaign of exploitation & deception”.

The pair – Rahmat Khan Mohammadi, 22 (28.10.02) of Weald Lane, Harrow, and Mohammed Bilal Hotak, 21 (01.01.04) of Richmond Road, Hackney – were found guilty at Isleworth Crown Court on Tuesday 4 November of multiple counts of burglary, theft, and fraud following a complex months-long investigation by detectives from the Metropolitan Police Specialist Crime Command.

Between October 2024 and March this year, an organised crime group linked to the Afghan men is believed to have carried out 35 burglaries and 20 related frauds against 22 identified victims, most of whom had been contacted through Grindr before being lured into private meetings arranged under false pretences.

Investigators discovered that Mohammadi and Hotak would use the ‘GAY’ app Grindr :

(Which both men where extremely adept and experienced at using on both a personal and criminal level!),

To establish contact with potential victims through intimate online exchanges before arranging hookups at their homes for sex.

Once inside, the men employed a range of sexual distraction tactics—often of a disarming and intimate nature—to obtain access to mobile phones and passcodes before making a swift exit from the property.

CCTV, ANPR data and thousands of text messages later revealed a carefully orchestrated pattern of activity, linking the two Afghan nationals both to each other and to a string of high-value thefts spread across the capital. Officers also identified the repeated use of a getaway vehicle and subsequent financial transactions tied to the stolen devices, including unauthorised payments, cash withdrawals and transfers.

Following the thefts, the pair would frequently access stored personal data on the victims’ phones to exploit online banking and digital payment systems. In several cases, other valuables including wallets, passports, and luxury watches were also taken.

Rahmat Khan Mohammadi was arrested on 3 April and charged two days later with one count of theft, 17 counts of burglary and 12 fraud offences. Mohammed Bilal Hotak was detained on 24 April and charged the following day with one count of theft, 14 counts of burglary and nine fraud offences. Both now await sentencing at Isleworth Crown Court.

Superintendent Owen Renowden, the Metropolitan Police hate crime lead who oversaw the investigation, said the pair had deliberately targeted trusting individuals in offences that were:

“Coldly calculated and wholly premeditated.”

He commended the victims for their cooperation, he added that the convictions send a clear message about the Met’s determination to tackle organised criminal networks exploiting social or dating platforms as tools for theft and fraud, stating:

“Organised crime has a devastating impact on society and will simply not be tolerated.”

The investigation was launched last autumn after a series of similar reports were received from across London. Detectives noted a distinctive pattern in which victims had all been approached via the ‘GAY’ dating app Grindr and deceived using near-identical methods. As the number of incidents grew, digital forensics and cross-borough coordination were employed to trace the suspects, culminating in their arrest earlier this year.

The case has highlighted the continued evolution of opportunistic digital-based offending, where perpetrators use online platforms designed for personal connection to identify and exploit targets, frequently combining elements of cyber-enabled fraud with traditional burglary and theft.

Both men remain in custody pending sentencing, which will take place at a later date.