South African authorities have extradited six Nigerian men to the United States to face allegations of defrauding more than 100 women through online romance scams.
The suspects, who were arrested in South Africa in 2021, are also alleged to have links with the Black Axe organised criminal network.
The South African Police Service disclosed the extradition in a statement posted on X on Friday.
The police said the suspects were wanted by American authorities over alleged wire fraud and money laundering offences.
According to the statement, the six men were accused of defrauding their victims of more than R100m through online romance or love scams.
“The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, commonly known as the #Hawks, in collaboration with #INTERPOL South Africa, will today facilitate the extradition of six Nigerian nationals to the United States of America,” the police said.
The suspects were reportedly taken from a correctional facility in Cape Town to Cape Town International Airport, where they were handed over to officials of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service.
Hawks spokesperson, Colonel Katlego Mogale, said the transfer was coordinated with INTERPOL South Africa.
She said, “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 and the United States Secret Service.”
Mogale said the extradition demonstrated the commitment of law enforcement agencies in South Africa and other countries to tackling organised crime that operates across national borders.
“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,” she said.
The suspects are expected to face the allegations before the appropriate authorities in the United States.
