UK- LGBTQ+ Londoners targeted by Colombian thieves who used fake Grindr profiles and sleeping drug, 2024

[dotr]

LGBTQ+ Londoners targeted by Colombian thieves with sleeping drug

Brandon Conrado-Gamboa was jailed for 11 years, but his accomplice Nelson Alexander Escobar Porras is believed to have fled to Barcelona where the Met Police is trying to get Spanish authorities to send him back

www.mylondon.news

May 25 '24
''A pair of Colombian thieves flew to the UK to spike and rob Londoners by luring victims with fake dating profiles and knocking them out with sleeping pills. Brandon Conrado-Gamboa, 30, and his accomplice Nelson Alexander Escobar Porras, arrived in the capital in December 2022 and began their reign of terror on the LGBTQ+ community.

In total, four victims were spiked with the drug zolpidem, a medicine normally used for insomniacs that helps people fall asleep. The South American duo contacted the victims on Grindr, a gay dating app, then drugged them and stole high-value items in a series of aggravated burglaries between December 31 2022 and January 9 2023, in Brentford, Hampton, Hounslow and Bromley.''

 

[pokerowan]

4 victims in just over a week! That's unthinkable. I bet they weren't short of opportunity over New Years either.

 

[dotr]

Lots more info at link.

Met investigation brings justice for London’s LGBT+ community

Met officers pieced together that the defendant was targeting London’s LGBT+ communities through the dating app Grindr

news.met.police.uk

25 MAY 2024
''His accomplice Nelson Alexander Escobar Porras is still wanted, and is believed to be in Barcelona, Spain. The Met and Crown Prosecution Service are working with Spanish Authorities to extradite Porras back to the UK.

This sentencing comes as a result of the Met cracking down on spiking. Officers’ swift action in handling the spiking reports from victims led to them conducting rapid urine tests, which were crucial in securing this conviction.

Officers responded promptly to reports from victims across London who were targeted through the dating app Grindr between 31 December 2022 and 9 January 2023 in Brentford, Hampton, Hounslow and Bromley. It was quickly discovered that Gamboa wasn’t working alone and he and his accomplice worked together using fake profiles to lure victims, drug them, and steal their possessions.''

 

[dotr]

Predator jailed for drugging then burgling men he ‘catfished’ on dating app Grindr

Brandon Conrado-Gamboa used fake profiles to lure victims and spiked their Prosecco

uk.news.yahoo.com

''Detective Chief Inspector Dan O’Sullivan said of the victims: “Some have been really affected by it. One has ended up losing their job due to mental health issues. Breakdown, can’t sleep, insomnia.

“When you think about what’s happened there: somebody’s woken up eight hours later and are in a total state of shock and gone to hospital. It’s life changing.”

“My team worked long hours in a bid to gather evidence against Gamboa, which left no doubt of guilt in the jury’s mind.”

DCI O’Sullivan added: “As the Met reform, we are doing more to protect and support LGBT+ victims, while tackling spiking and bringing callous offenders to justice.''