South Africa extradites six Nigerians to US over $6m romance scam

September 11, 2026 at 02:54 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

South African police are handing over six Nigerians wanted in the US for alleged online romance scams to FBI agents on Friday. The group is accused of defrauding over 100 US women of more than 100 million rand ($6m). The suspects were arrested in 2021 and are believed to be members of the Black Axe crime syndicate.

Key Facts

The six suspects are accused of defrauding over 100 women in the US of more than 100 million rand ($6m).
The suspects were arrested in 2021 and are believed to be members of the Black Axe crime syndicate.
They will be transported from a correctional facility in Cape Town to the airport on Friday morning and handed over to FBI and US Secret Service officials.
The suspects face wire fraud and money-laundering charges upon arrival in the US.
Interpol's latest operation between November 2025 and June 2026 led to raids on seven South African sites and 39 arrests.

Extradition Process

South African police are handing over six Nigerians wanted in the US for alleged online romance scams to FBI agents later on Friday. The group will be transported from a correctional facility in Cape Town to the airport on Friday morning, where they will be handed over to officials from the FBI and the United States Secret Service, Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said in a statement. They would face wire fraud and money-laundering charges upon their arrival in the US, she added.

Black Axe Syndicate

Black Axe is a shadowy criminal network known for its extreme violence and operates across Africa, Europe and North America. A BBC Eye investigation in 2021 suggested that the syndicate had become one of the most far-reaching and dangerous organised crime groups in the world. Nigeria is its main recruitment ground and many of its members are university educated and inducted during their schooling. 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.

Interpol Operations

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. It led to the arrests of 39 people, the seizure of money and the blocking of more than 250 bank accounts.