Press Statement Combined by the Public Prosecutor's Office in Tübingen and the Police Headquarters in Reutlingen
In a series of arrests on 26th July, 2025, a 19-year-old with Guinean citizenship, along with five German suspects, two of whom also possess Turkish citizenship, were presented to the Reutlingen District Court. The suspects are under investigation for their alleged involvement in a six-member gang responsible for thefts, residential burglaries, and robberies across various regions of Germany.
According to the investigations, the suspects have been accused of using the dating platform Tinder to approach wealthy men since spring 2025, with the intention of stealing high-value watches and other valuable items. The alleged crimes have been reported in cities such as Tübingen, Reutlingen, Esslingen, Heilbronn, Stuttgart, Frankfurt am Main, and Worms, as well as in smaller towns like Metzingen, Böblingen, and Bietigheim-Bissingen.
The gang is suspected to have robbed victims violently during meetings about potential sales. In one such incident, a 44-year-old man in Metzingen-Neuhausen was robbed of a high-value watch during a sales meeting on 23rd July, 2025.
In addition to the stolen watches, extensive evidence, including high-value jewelry, Rolex watches, and cash in the six-figure range, were secured during the operations. Several high-value vehicles were also seized. In some cases, house keys were taken to later access the victims' homes and steal credit cards, resulting in damages of at least 200,000 euros.
Five men and one woman have been provisionally detained in connection with the investigations. Three suspects aged 23 and 19 were caught in the act during another meeting in Tübingen on 25th July, 2025. Two more suspects aged 29 and 21, as well as the 33-year-old alleged member of the gang, were also provisionally detained on the same day.
The 33-year-old suspect is alleged to have expressed interest in the men on Tinder while the thefts were occurring. The Public Prosecutor's Office in Tübingen and a specialized investigative group of the Criminal Police Directorate in Esslingen are leading the investigation, which is being conducted in Heilbronn.
Any affected persons who believe they have had high-value watches stolen during similar dating meetings are asked to contact the Criminal Police in Tübingen. The suspected gang is believed to have additional members who have not yet been identified, alongside at least four men who were arrested and are in custody; some of the convicted used multiple identities.
The investigations are an addendum to a press release issued on 24th July, 2025, at 16:56. The authorities urge the public to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activities to the local police.
