Six Nigerian nationals linked to an organized criminal network were extradited to the United States on Friday — the men are accused of defrauding more than 100 American women of over $6 million through online romance scams, according to South African police. They were arrested in the South African city of Cape Town in 2021 and face wire fraud and money laundering charges.

Criminal Network and Interpol Involvement

The men are alleged to belong to a criminal network known as the Black Axe, which Interpol describes as responsible for a significant share of global cyber-enabled financial fraud. The group typically uses romance, cryptocurrency, and investment scams to defraud victims. The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks, facilitated the extradition in collaboration with the FBI and the US Secret Service, with the assistance of Interpol South Africa.

Victim Impact and Extradition Process

The alleged victims of the scam included pensioners and businesspeople who were targeted through sophisticated online relationships; South African police stated that the men had defrauded victims in the US of more than $6 million. The extradition process was coordinated by Interpol South Africa, with the six being transported from a correctional facility in Cape Town to the airport for handover to US officials. FBI and Secret Service agents arrived in South Africa on Friday morning to receive the suspects.

Separate Human Trafficking Case in Nigeria

In a separate case, 35 teenage girls aged between 14 and 17 were rescued from a hotel in southeastern Nigeria where a trafficking ring was forcing them into prostitution. According to local police, four of the girls were pregnant and children born to them were being sold. The girls were found at the Gally Gally hotel in Anambra state, where they were described as being used as sex slaves for prostitution and baby-making. Three men were arrested at the scene, and the hotel owner is now on the run.

Human trafficking, which includes forced prostitution and the sale of children, is the third most common crime in Nigeria, behind corruption and drug trafficking, according to the United Nations. Southeastern Nigeria is particularly affected by trafficking in women and children, with several illegal maternity wards discovered in the region in recent years.