Commissionerate Police busts gang honey-trapping people on gay dating apps; 5 arrested

The Commissionerate Police on Wednesday busted a gang that allegedly honey-trapped people on gay dating apps. As per police, the gang members allegedly shot intimate videos and extorted money by blackmailing the victims.

Based on CCTV footage, police arrested five accused including four juveniles, and seized Rs 34,000 cash, a high-end motorbike, and expensive mobile phones including iPhones from their possession.

“Four of the accused are minors. These five together used online apps to befriend ‘gay’ people. The modus operandi was simple. These youngsters used to create fake profiles on a gay dating app – a practice known as catfishing – select vulnerable guys and call them to their rooms. Later, they made intimate videos and blackmailed them using the videos,” informed Girija Chakraborty, ACP Zone 2, Bhubaneswar.

“The accused threatened and assaulted their victims and took away all the money. Either they threatened the victims to send all the money through Google Pay or Phonepe or forcibly took them to secluded ATM counters and made them withdraw the cash,” the ACP added.

"At least two people had fallen victim to the accused. They had taken Rs 1.50 lakh from one person and Rs 56,000 from another victim. Fearing public humiliation, the victims gave all the money demanded by the accused,” Chakraborthy added.

The accused then used the looted money to buy iPhones and high-end motorbikes. They threatened to circulate the intimate video of the victims if they dared to speak up or lodge a complaint, sources said.