The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), known as the Hawks, in collaboration with INTERPOL South Africa, is facilitating the extradition of six Nigerian nationals to the United States of America on Friday.
Alleged Black Axe members wanted for wire fraud
The six men are alleged members of the Black Axe organised criminal network and are wanted by U.S. authorities on charges of wire fraud and money laundering. They are accused of targeting more than 100 women in the United States through sophisticated online romance and love scams, allegedly defrauding them of more than R100 million.
Victims include pensioners and businesspeople
Among the alleged victims were pensioners and businesspeople who were reportedly drawn into online relationships used to extract their money.
Arrested in 2021, handover expected today
The suspects were arrested in South Africa in 2021 during a major takedown operation by the Hawks/DPCI. On Friday they were transported from a correctional facility in Cape Town to Cape Town International Airport, where they will be handed over to officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United States Secret Service, who arrived in South Africa earlier in the day. The formal handover is expected to take place this afternoon.
Media briefing and international cooperation
Colonel Katlego Mogale will facilitate media interviews and provide further information on the operation.
The South African Police Service said the extradition demonstrates the continued cooperation between South Africa law enforcement agencies and international partners in disrupting transnational organised crime and ensuring that suspects wanted in other jurisdictions face due legal process.