Mumbai, March 15: The Mumbai police have dismantled a significant extortion racket operating through the online dating app Tinder, leading to the arrest of ten individuals, including three women brought in from Delhi. The operation took place during a raid at a café club located in the Ghatkopar area of Sakinaka.
According to information shared by the police on Sunday, this gang targeted wealthy young men. The accused women would like the profiles of these men on Tinder, initiate contact, and then invite them to the café club under the pretense of a date. Once at the café, the men were threatened and coerced into paying large sums of money. The women and their accomplices would intimidate the victims with false allegations of sexual harassment and threats of police action. During this time, expensive food and drinks were ordered, driving the bill up to amounts ranging from ₹25,000 to ₹50,000 or more.
The police reported that even the café’s bouncers were complicit in the extortion, using intimidation tactics to force payments from the victims.
After receiving a tip-off about the racket, the Powai police set up a sting operation. The police team caught the entire gang red-handed during the raid. They discovered one man sitting on the café floor while attempting to collect money from a victim. Investigations revealed that the café owner was actively involved in the racket, orchestrating the fraudulent network.
Further inquiries indicated that the three women had been specifically brought in from Delhi for this operation. Additionally, it was uncovered that around 25 to 30 other girls were also linked to the gang, used to ensnare wealthy young men. A case has been registered at the Sakinaka police station, and all arrested individuals are currently in custody.
The Mumbai police are now investigating the full extent of this racket. Authorities are working to determine how many more individuals are involved and how many young men have fallen victim to this scheme. Police officials stated that further investigations are ongoing to uncover the complete network.
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