South African authorities arrest four men linked to targeting Grindr users
Access Chapter 2 and the Triangle Project are two of the South African LGBTQ and intersex rights organizations that have welcomed the arrest of four men who authorities say used Grindr to extort and victimize LGBTQ and intersex South Africans.
Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, a spokesperson for the Gauteng Police, said a 26-year-old man “who had been chatting to one of the suspects” on Feb.
13 “was lured to an area where he was hijacked, kidnapped and robbed of his personal belongings, including bank cards.” “The suspects proceeded to make several purchases with the victim’s bank cards,” noted Mathe. “When the matter was reported to the Mondeor Police Station, the anti-kidnapping task team operationalized information and swooped on the four men who were meeting at the restaurant on the same day of the kidnapping.” In response to the recent developments, Access Chapter 2 spokesperson Mpho Buntse said the organization commended the arrest by the South African Police Service. “AC2 would like to take this opportunity to congratulate SAPS (South African Police Service) for the groundbreaking arrest of the terror-striking and so-called Grindr gang,” said Access Chapter 2.
Access Chapter 2 noted in 2022 it “kick-started a campaign to highlight the persistent cases of kidnapping, extortion and robbery in the hands of a group of Johannesburg men who used Grindr to lure gay men across the Gauteng province.” We are excited that this arrest may bring some form of justice and recourse for many victims and survivors,” said Access Chapter 2. “These incidents have instilled fear among users of the app, as a result, rang a terror alarm among the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
