South African police are handing six Nigerian suspects over to U.S. FBI agents for alleged online romance‑scam crimes.
The six men and women were arrested in 2021 and are believed to belong to the Black‑Axe gang, a Nigerian criminal network involved in human trafficking, internet fraud and murder.
They allegedly targeted more than 100 women in the United States, stealing over 100 million rand (about $6 million) by manipulating victims through sophisticated fake relationships.
Victims ranged from pensioners to businesspeople who, according to South Africa’s elite Hawks police unit, were lured by seemingly genuine online romance.
According to a Hawks spokesperson, the group will leave a correctional facility in Cape Town on Friday morning, be handed over to FBI and U.S. Secret Service officials, and then board an aircraft to the United States.
Upon arrival in the U.S., they will face wire‑fraud and money‑laundering charges.
Black‑Axe has been targeted by U.S. federal operations since 2019 and has been linked to multiple international investigations coordinated by Interpol.
Recent Interpol‑led sweeps in South Africa raided seven sites associated with romance and investment scams, arresting 39 people, seizing money, and blocking over 250 bank accounts.
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