South Africa Facilitates Extradition of 6 Nigerians to the US Over Fraud and Money Laundering

• The Hawks and INTERPOL South Africa facilitated the extradition of six Nigerian nationals to the United States on charges of wire fraud and money laundering
• The six men, allegedly linked to the Black Axe criminal network, were arrested in South Africa in 2021 following a major Hawks takedown operation
• Over 100 women in the US, including pensioners and businesspeople, were allegedly defrauded of more than R100 million through online romance scams

Six Nigerian nationals have been extradited from South Africa to the United States, where they face charges of wire fraud and money laundering linked to an alleged online romance scam operation that reportedly netted more than R100 million from victims.

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), widely known as the Hawks, coordinated the extradition together with INTERPOL South Africa.

The six men were transported from a correctional facility in Cape Town to Cape Town International Airport, where agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United States Secret Service took custody of them.

The American officials had arrived in South Africa earlier on the same day, with the formal handover scheduled for the afternoon.

Suspected black axe members targeted over 100 American women

US authorities allege that the six suspects are members of the Black Axe organised criminal network. Prosecutors claim the group used fake online romantic relationships to build trust with more than 100 women in the United States before defrauding them of money. Among those allegedly targeted were pensioners and business owners who were drawn into what appeared to be genuine relationships conducted entirely online.

The six men were first arrested in South Africa in 2021, following a coordinated takedown operation led by the Hawks. They have since been held in a Cape Town correctional facility while extradition proceedings were completed.

South Africa and US cooperation on transnational crime

Colonel Katlego Mogale of the Hawks facilitated media interviews around the operation and said the extradition reflected the strength of cooperation between South African law enforcement and international partners in tackling cross-border organised crime.

The operation underlines a growing effort between South African authorities and agencies such as the FBI, INTERPOL, and the US Secret Service to ensure that suspects facing charges abroad are transferred to the relevant jurisdictions to stand trial.

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