Colombia: three suspects jailed in alleged robbery case linked to dating app meetups

In Colombia, two women and one man were jailed in a case where they are accused of contacting victims through dating apps and then drugging them in order to rob them.

A new case in Colombia is highlighting the dangers that can surround meetings arranged through dating apps. According to Noticias Caracol, two women and one man were placed in pretrial detention after being accused in a series of robberies involving people contacted through online dating platforms.

According to the report, the suspects allegedly approached victims through dating apps, arranged meetings and then used toxic substances to weaken the victims and reduce their ability to resist. Colombian prosecutors say the robberies linked to the case exceed 130 million pesos in losses.

Security camera footage reportedly showed the two women at residences or motels in Bogotá before the alleged crimes. The investigation also includes the testimony of a Canadian man who said that after accepting a drink offered by one of the women, he noticed a whitish substance in the glass and soon began to feel dizzy. He said he tried to react and stop the theft, but the effects of the substance made it difficult for him to defend himself.

According to the judicial proceedings cited by the outlet, the arrested individuals were identified as Marjedis María Morales Julio, Andrés Fabian Sandoval Padilla and Leidy Viviana Maturana Rivillas. During the hearing, the judge stressed the seriousness of the alleged conduct and pointed to what appeared to be a planned method involving contact through digital platforms, meetings in selected locations and the administration of substances that affected the victims’ will.

The case illustrates a pattern that has appeared in multiple countries: building trust through an app, moving to a private meeting, the alleged use of drugs or sedatives, and then theft of money and valuables. The judicial process is still ongoing and the three suspects remain under prosecution.