Six Nigerian nationals accused of defrauding more than 100 American women of over $6 million through online romance scams are set to be extradited from South Africa to the United States, authorities say.
The men, who were arrested in Cape Town in 2021, are expected to be handed over to officials from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US Secret Service before being transported to the United States on Friday.
They are accused of being members of Black Axe, a Nigerian-origin criminal network that Interpol has linked to extensive cyber-enabled financial crimes, including romance, cryptocurrency and investment scams.
South African police allege that the six suspects targeted more than 100 women in the United States through carefully constructed online relationships before persuading them to transfer money.
Among the alleged victims were pensioners and businesspeople who were reportedly drawn into sophisticated online relationships with the suspects.
South African police spokesperson Katlego Mogale said the suspects would be transported from a correctional facility in Cape Town to Cape Town International Airport before being handed over to American authorities.
The extradition follows a broader international crackdown on organised cybercrime in West Africa.
Interpol said a recent operation targeting organised criminal groups in the region resulted in 58 arrests and the identification of 263 suspects linked to various crimes.
Authorities also targeted money laundering networks and moved to seize criminal assets.
In a separate operation in Johannesburg, South African police raided seven locations allegedly connected to a syndicate running romance and investment scams against retirees in English-speaking countries.
That operation resulted in 39 arrests, the seizure of about $2.67 million, and the freezing of more than 250 bank accounts, according to Interpol.
The latest extradition underscores the increasingly international nature of online fraud, with investigators working across borders to identify suspects, trace illicit funds and prosecute alleged offenders.
