Hawks and Interpol facilitate extradition of six Nigerian nationals
The six suspects were wanted in the US for online love scams that targeted more than a 100 women
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks, has teamed up with Interpol South Africa to extradite six Nigerian nationals to the United States. These men are suspected to be part of the Black Axe organised crime group and are being sought by US authorities for wire fraud and money laundering charges.
The suspects are accused of victimizing over 100 women in the US through online romance scams, stealing more than R100 million from their victims, including pensioners and businesspeople. The six individuals were apprehended in South Africa in 2021 following a significant operation by the Hawks/DPCI. With the assistance of Interpol South Africa, they will be transferred from a prison in Cape Town to Cape Town International Airport on Friday, where they will be handed over to FBI and US Secret Service officials who arrived in South Africa on Friday morning.
Their formal handover is anticipated to occur on Friday afternoon. Colonel Katlego Mogale, a spokesperson for the Hawks, stated, "This extradition exemplifies the ongoing collaboration between South African law enforcement and international partners in dismantling transnational organized crime and ensuring that suspects facing charges in other jurisdictions receive a fair legal process."
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