South African authorities have extradited six Nigerian men to the United States following allegations that they defrauded more than 100 American women through online romance schemes.
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 development in a post on X on Friday, saying its Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, popularly known as the Hawks, worked with INTERPOL South Africa to facilitate the extradition.
“The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), 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,” SAPS said.
The police said the suspects were wanted in the US in connection with allegations of wire fraud and money laundering.
According to SAPS, the men were accused of “allegedly defrauding them of more than R100 million through online romance/love scams.”
The Hawks said the suspects were transferred to United States authorities at Cape Town International Airport on Friday.
Officials of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service took custody of the suspects following their handover, according to the authorities.
Hawks spokesperson, Colonel Katlego Mogale, was quoted by Eye Witness News as saying the extradition process involved moving the suspects from a correctional facility in Cape Town to the airport for their transfer to the American agencies.
“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 development underscored the growing collaboration among law enforcement agencies in different countries to tackle organised criminal activities that cross 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,” he said.
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