Six accused of defrauding over 100 American women of more than R100m
Six Nigerian nationals accused of defrauding more than 100 women in the United States through online romance scams have been extradited from South Africa to the US.
The suspects, who were arrested in South Africa in 2021, were allegedly members of the Black Axe organised criminal network, according to the South African Police Service (SAPS).
SAPS disclosed the development in a post on X on Friday, saying its Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, popularly known as the Hawks, worked with INTERPOL South Africa to facilitate the extradition.
The six men were wanted by United States authorities over allegations of wire fraud and money laundering.
According to SAPS, the suspects allegedly defrauded their victims of more than R100 million through online romance or love scams.
The Hawks said the suspects were handed over to officials of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United States Secret Service at Cape Town International Airport on Friday.
Hawks spokesperson, Colonel Katlego Mogale, said the suspects were transported from a correctional facility in Cape Town to the airport under INTERPOL South Africa’s coordination before being handed over to the American authorities.
Mogale said the extradition demonstrated continued cooperation between South African law enforcement agencies and their international counterparts in tackling transnational organised crime.
He said such collaboration was important in disrupting criminal networks and ensuring that suspects wanted in other jurisdictions were brought before the appropriate authorities to face due legal process.
The extradition comes amid growing international cooperation among law enforcement agencies in tackling online fraud, money laundering and other forms of organised crime that operate across national borders.
