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The Greater Chennai Police have asked the popular LGBTQ+ dating application Grindr to be banned on charges of repeated misuse for drug trafficking purposes. In a formal letter submitted to the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) under the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeITY), authorities have urged regulatory action in terms of threat to public order.
The appeal comes after a series of probes by the newly established Anti-Narcotics Intelligence Unit (ANIU), which associated Grindr with more than 20 cases of drug dealing since August 2024. Officials say that traffickers employed the site to organize drug transactions, especially of methamphetamine — also referred to as crystal meth.
More than 21 Kg of Meth Seized
Police have confiscated over 21.9 kg of methamphetamine in the past eight months. In at least five out of the ten recent cases, Grindr was the main means of communication between the drug buyers and sellers, according to police.
Part of the operation, 17 suspects were detained during coordinated raids across Tamil Nadu and other states. The haul involved methamphetamine, heroin, high-grade ganja, and other prohibited substances. Eight foreign nationals — suspected of being part of a wider international narcotics ring — were also picked up. Some were discovered in contravention of visa guidelines, with coordination with immigration and intelligence bodies being undertaken.
Grindr Profile Symbols Used to Signal Drugs
Enquiry officials disclosed that Grindr users who were drug dealers employed coded language and symbols in their profile to secretly offer drugs for sale. The anonymity of the app and location feature reportedly facilitated the ease of concealment for traffickers.
Some startling disclosures also came from inside the law and order system — two constables of the Chennai police were involved in the drug network and are being probed by the department.
A String of High-Profile Drug Cases
Chennai has witnessed a surge in drug-related arrests over the past year. In October 2024, police busted a meth lab operated by seven students posing as researchers. Earlier this year, a screenwriter from Chennai was caught in Kerala with Rs 1.5 crore worth of hybrid ganja. In another case, a mother’s complaint led police to a cannabis oil smuggling ring linked to traffickers in Kerala.
While public safety and legal reasons are given by the police for the ban to be imposed, the action has been met with opposition from LGBTQ+ groups. The critics state that singling out Grindr encourages stigmatisation of the queer population, particularly when the same crime has taken place within heterosexual dating apps without bringing about bans.
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