The killing of Italian biologist Alessandro Coatti has sent shockwaves through the international scientific community and raised fresh concerns about tourist safety in Colombia.
Coatti, 38, from the town of Alfonsine in Italy’s northern province of Ravenna, was found dismembered in early April in Santa Marta, a popular resort town on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. Local police believe he was drugged, robbed and murdered after being lured into a meeting via a fake profile on Grindr, a dating app widely used by members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Carlos Triana, director of the Colombian National Police, confirmed that Coatti had agreed to meet someone through the app, unaware he was walking into a trap. Investigators say the meeting was part of a broader pattern in which criminal gangs target foreign tourists through online platforms.
The case broke open after authorities traced Coatti’s last known movements and geolocated his phone. That led police to a residence in Santa Marta, where they recovered the victim’s personal belongings and DNA evidence. The condition of the crime scene indicated that the killing had been planned in advance.
What initially appeared to be a robbery gone wrong quickly evolved into a homicide investigation involving premeditated violence. Witness statements and forensic analysis confirmed the body had been dismembered — a tactic investigators say was likely intended to delay identification and hinder the probe.
Italy’s ambassador to Colombia, Giancarlo Maria Curcio, has been closely following the investigation. In an interview with Corriere della Sera, Curcio warned of the dangers posed by so-called “scopolamine gangs” — criminal groups that use the powerful psychoactive drug to incapacitate victims and force them to hand over money or valuables. According to Colombian authorities, Coatti may have been drugged during the attack and died while trying to resist his assailants.
Local media, including Hoy-Diario del Magdalena, report that four suspects have been identified in connection with the killing and are currently being sought by law enforcement.
Authorities believe the suspects are part of a criminal ring that preys on tourists, particularly foreigners, using dating apps to lure victims into isolated locations where they are robbed, and in some cases, assaulted or killed.
