Police bust Telegram network drug-facilitated assault

German authorities have uncovered a vast online predator network that operated for years on the Telegram messaging app, using coded language to discuss and share material related to drugging and sexually assaulting women. The network, which presented itself under the name "German driving school for experts," involved dozens of chat groups with tens of thousands of members, predominantly Chinese men targeting Chinese women in Germany. A multi-year investigation has so far resulted in convictions for three alleged core members, with a fourth defendant's trial concluding in Berlin this week.

According to court documents, members of the network used a sinister lexicon, referring to women as "cars," sedatives as "fuel," and sexual assault as "driving." They described victims as "dead pigs" and shared photos and videos of attacks on unconscious women. Frankfurt chief prosecutor Dominik Mies characterized the crimes as being marked by "particular ruthlessness," the objectification of victims, and careful planning.

The investigation gained momentum in 2024 after police focused on a Frankfurt man identified by courts as Dapeng Z., described in media reports as the alleged ringleader. He...