South African law enforcement authorities have extradited six Nigerian nationals to the United States to face federal charges over a series of online romance schemes that defrauded more than 100 American women.

The suspects, who were apprehended in South Africa in 2021, are alleged members of the Black Axe organised crime syndicate. United States authorities sought their extradition to answer to counts of wire fraud and money laundering involving illicit gains exceeding 100 million South African Rand.

On Friday, the South African Police Service announced that the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks, facilitated the operation alongside Interpol South Africa. The suspects were moved from a Cape Town detention facility to Cape Town International Airport, where they were handed over to agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service.

In a statement broadcast on social media, SAPS stated that “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.”

Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale underscored the value of international partnerships in curbing transnational crime. Mogale noted that “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.”