In brief
South African police allege that six Nigerian men, linked to the crime syndicate Black Axe, orchestrated romance scams that defrauded more than 100 U.S. women of over R100 million ($6 million). The men were arrested in 2021 and will be sent from a Cape Town correctional facility to the U.S. airport on Friday, where FBI and Secret Service officials will hand them over. The extradition follows months of joint investigations by South African law‑enforcement, Interpol and U.S. agencies targeting Black Axe’s online fraud operations.
South African police handed six alleged romance‑scam operators, linked to the Nigerian crime syndicate Black Axe, over to the FBI on Friday.
Officials say the men targeted more than 100 women in the United States and stole more than R100 million, equivalent to about $6 million.
The six were apprehended in 2021 while coordinating a sophisticated online relationship scheme. Victims included pensioners and businesspeople who were misled into sending money.
The extradition will occur from a Cape Town correctional facility to an airport where FBI and U.S. Secret Service officials will receive them. They face wire‑fraud and money‑laundering charges upon arrival in the U.S.
See also: Black Axe, a shadowy network known for extreme violence across Africa, Europe and North America.
