Cape Town – Six Nigerians accused of stealing about R100 million from gullible Americans through “online romance or love scams” will be extradited to the United States.
The Hawks, in collaboration with INTERPOL South Africa, will today, Friday 11 September 2026, facilitate their extradition.
The six men are alleged to be members of the Black Axe organised criminal network and are wanted by the US authorities in connection with charges of wire fraud and money laundering.
The suspects are alleged to have targeted more than 100 women in the United States, allegedly defrauding them of more than R100 million through online romance or love scams.
Among the alleged victims were pensioners and businesspeople who were reportedly targeted through sophisticated online relationships used to defraud them of their money.
The six Nigerians were arrested in South Africa in 2021, following a major takedown operation conducted by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), better known as the Hawks.
Through the coordination of INTERPOL South Africa, the six will today be transported from a correctional facility in Cape Town to Cape Town International Airport, where they will be handed over to officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United States Secret Service, who arrived in South Africa this morning.
The formal handover is expected to take place this afternoon.
“This extradition demonstrates the continued cooperation between South African law enforcement agencies and international law enforcement partners in disrupting transnational organised crime and ensuring that suspects wanted in other jurisdictions face due legal process,” said Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale.
