FBI officials at the Cape Town international airport during the extradition process of suspected Black Axe members in South Africa on 11 September 2026. Photograph: Esa Alexander/ReutersView image in fullscreenFBI officials at the Cape Town international airport during the extradition process of suspected Black Axe members in South Africa on 11 September 2026.
South African police confirmed they were to be extradited earlier on Friday, while local news in Africa confirmed that the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks, facilitated their handover to officials from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and Secret Service at Cape Town international airport, in collaboration with Interpol South Africa.
The men, who were arrested in the South African city of Cape Town in 2021, face wire fraud and money laundering charges.
They are accused of belonging to a criminal network known as the Black Axe, which Interpol describes as being among criminal groups responsible for a significant share of the world’s cyber-enabled financial fraud, typically through romance, cryptocurrency and investment scams.
Among the alleged victims were pensioners and businesspeople who were reportedly targeted through sophisticated online relationships.
A recent operation by Interpol targeting west African organized crime groups led to the arrest of 58 people and the identification of 263 suspects linked to various criminal networks involved in similar crimes, the multinational police body said last month.
The operation aimed to disrupt money laundering, identify high-value targets, seize assets, and support arrests and prosecution.
In South Africa, authorities raided seven locations in the city of Johannesburg linked to a syndicate that ran romance and investment scams targeting retirees in English-speaking countries.
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