Six Nigerian nationals, allegedly linked to an organised criminal network, were extradited to the United States on Friday. They are accused of swindling American women out of more than $6 million through online romance scams.
The men, who were arrested in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2021, face charges of wire fraud and money laundering. South African police confirmed their extradition, with the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks, facilitating their handover to officials from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and Secret Service at Cape Town international airport, in collaboration with Interpol South Africa.
The accused are alleged to be members of the Black Axe criminal network, which Interpol describes as being responsible for a significant share of global cyber-enabled financial fraud. The alleged victims, reportedly numbering over 100 women in the US, included pensioners and businesspeople who were targeted through sophisticated online relationships.