Six Nigerian romance scam suspects are being extradited from South Africa to the United States to face charges linked to an alleged scheme that defrauded more than 100 American women of over $6 million.
The men were arrested in Cape Town in 2021. South African police said they would be handed over to officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service on Friday.
They are expected to face wire fraud and money laundering charges in the US.
Black Axe links alleged
Authorities accuse the six men of belonging to Black Axe, an organised criminal network associated with cyber-enabled financial crimes, including romance, cryptocurrency and investment scams.
The alleged victims included pensioners and businesspeople. Investigators say the women were drawn into carefully constructed online relationships before being persuaded to transfer money.
“Through the coordination of Interpol South Africa, the six will today be transported from a correctional facility in Cape Town to Cape Town International Airport,” police spokesperson Katlego Mogale said.
She added that the suspects would be placed in the custody of US officials who had arrived in South Africa.
Wider operation targets fraud networks
The extradition comes amid a broader international crackdown on West African organised crime groups. A recent Interpol operation resulted in 58 arrests and identified 263 suspects connected to various criminal networks.
South African authorities also raided seven locations in Johannesburg linked to a syndicate accused of targeting retirees in English-speaking countries with romance and investment scams.
That operation led to 39 arrests, the seizure of $2.67 million and the freezing of more than 250 bank accounts. Investigators are now pursuing further arrests, prosecutions and the recovery of assets believed to have been obtained through fraud.
READ ALSO: Ghana Seeks Deeper China Mining Partnership to Drive Value Addition
