South African authorities on Friday extradited six Nigerian nationals to the United States over allegations that they defrauded more than 100 women of over R100 million through online romance scams.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) said the men are alleged members of the Black Axe network and are wanted in the US for wire fraud and money laundering.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks, in collaboration with INTERPOL South Africa, facilitated the extradition.
“The six Nigerian nationals were arrested in South Africa in 2021, following a major takedown operation conducted by the Hawks,” SAPS said.
According to the police, the suspects allegedly targeted women in the United States through online romance or love scams.
Through INTERPOL South Africa, the six were moved from a correctional facility in Cape Town to Cape Town International Airport, where they were handed over to officials of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service.
Hawks spokesperson, Colonel Katlego Mogale, said the extradition showed cooperation between South African and international law enforcement in tackling transnational crime.
The development comes weeks after the EFCC extradited two Nigerians to the US over alleged sextortion.
