South Africa Extradites Six Nigerians To US Over Alleged Romance Scams

Six Nigerians accused of running online romance scams have been extradited from South Africa to the United States after a case that began with arrests in 2021.

South African police said the men were wanted by US authorities over alleged wire fraud and money laundering. The suspects are accused of targeting more than 100 women in the United States and taking more than R100 million, about $6.2 million, through online relationships.

The case was handled by South Africa’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks, working with INTERPOL South Africa. Reports said the suspects were due to be handed over to officials from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Police linked the men to Black Axe, an organised criminal network. The allegations remain claims by law-enforcement agencies until the suspects are tried in court.

The extradition adds another Nigeria-linked cybercrime case to the growing cooperation between African and US law-enforcement agencies. It also comes after South African authorities said the suspects had been in custody since a 2021 operation targeting the alleged network.

Sources: Punch, Daily Post, Vanguard