Six Nigerian nationals accused of swindling more than 100 American women out of more than $6 million through online romance scams are being extradited from South Africa to the United States on Friday, following arrests made in Cape Town in 2021.
The extradition brings an end to a years-long legal process for six men identified by South African authorities as members of the Black Axe criminal network. Law enforcement agencies in both nations coordinated the transfer to place the suspects into the custody of U.S. federal authorities to face charges including wire fraud and money laundering.
Extradition and Handover at Cape Town International Airport
Black Axe in South Africa
The operation unfolded on Friday as tactical units transported the six suspects from a correctional facility in Cape Town to Cape Town International Airport. There, they were formally handed over to officials from the FBI and the United States Secret Service who arrived in South Africa earlier that morning.
“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, where they will be handed over to officials from the FBI and the United States Secret Service, who arrived in South Africa this morning,” said police spokesperson Katlego Mogale.
The Hawks, working with Interpol South Africa, are facilitating the extradition of the six men, who are alleged to be members of the Black Axe organised criminal network. Local authorities noted that the extradition demonstrated continued co-operation between South African and international law enforcement agencies in tackling transnational organised crime and ensuring that suspects wanted in other jurisdictions face due legal process.
Suspects accused of swindling American women out of $6
Modus Operandi and the Black Axe Syndicate
According to investigators, the accused men belonged to the Black Axe, a shadowy criminal network known for its extreme violence that operates across Africa, Europe and North America. What began as a Nigerian student fraternity has been on the radar of law enforcement agencies for a number of years, with Nigeria as its main recruitment ground where many members are university educated and inducted during their schooling. Interpol describes the syndicate as being part of criminal groups responsible for a significant share of the world’s cyber-enabled financial fraud, typically through romance scams, cryptocurrency and investment scams.
The targets in this specific case included pensioners and businesspeople who were reportedly targeted through sophisticated online relationships, according to South African police. Prosecutors in the United States previously said that members of the group engaged in widespread internet fraud involving romance scams and advance-fee schemes, using social media websites, online dating websites, and internet-based phone calls to find and talk with victims in the US while using a number of aliases.
6 Nigerians extradited to US for conning women out
The group allegedly also used bank accounts of victims and individuals with US-based financial accounts to transfer the money to South Africa. On some occasions, they convinced victims to open financial accounts in the US that the alleged conspirators would then be permitted to use themselves.
Broader Crackdown on Transnational Cyber Fraud
The move comes less than two years after a prominent leader of the Black Axe was extradited to the U.S. for conspiring to engage in internet scams and money laundering. FBI operations against Black Axe were launched in November 2019 and September 2021, eventually charging more than 35 individuals with multi-million-dollar internet fraud, while the U.S. justice department announced federal charges had been laid against eight men allegedly linked to Black Axe in 2021.
Since then, there have been several other operations across multiple countries targeting Black Axe coordinated by the global policing agency Interpol. Last month, Interpol said during its latest operation—which took place between November 2025 and June 2026—seven sites in South Africa linked to a syndicate involved in romance and investment scams were raided, leading to the arrests of 39 people, the seizure of money and the blocking of more than 250 bank accounts. A recent operation by Interpol targeting West African organized crime groups led to the arrest of 58 people and the identification of 263 suspects linked to various criminal networks involved in similar crimes.
