The criminal syndicate known as the Shinn muggers operated on the desert planet of Tatooine during the era of the Galactic Civil War. It was in the year 1 ABY that Shinn and his gang engaged in the illicit activity of stealing ID cards from the inhabitants of Mos Eisley. Mikdanyell Guh'rantt, the Mayor, instructed his combat specialist Peawp R'dawc to hire a spacer to take out several of these criminals, including their ringleader, Vaigon Shinn, at his hideout. Not long after this, Sleash, a criminal who formerly collaborated with Vaigon Shinn, sought refuge in Vaigon Shinn's Hideout after the crime lord Faeto issued a death mark against his associate Untas.
The Shinn muggers made their debut in Star Wars Galaxies, the massively multiplayer online roleplaying game from 2003, a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game that was created by Sony Online Entertainment and distributed by LucasArts. The game was shut down on December 15, 2011. The Shinn muggers were incorporated into the game as part of the "Legacy Quest" with the launch of "Publish 25," also known as the "New Game Enhancements," on November 15, 2005.