South African authorities have extradited six Nigerians to the United States over their alleged involvement in an online romance scam operation that reportedly defrauded more than 100 victims of over R100 million.
Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, popularly known as the Hawks, said the extradition was carried out in collaboration with INTERPOL South Africa.
According to the Hawks, the suspects are allegedly linked to the Black Axe organised criminal network and are wanted in the United States on charges bordering on wire fraud and money laundering.
The suspects are accused of targeting more than 100 women in the US by establishing romantic relationships with them online before allegedly defrauding them of large sums of money.
The Hawks said some of the alleged victims were pensioners and business owners who were targeted through what investigators described as sophisticated online relationships.
The six Nigerians were arrested in South Africa in 2021 during a major law enforcement operation.
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Following the completion of the extradition process, the suspects were transferred from a correctional facility in Cape Town to Cape Town International Airport, where they were handed over to officials of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US Secret Service.
The American officials had travelled to South Africa to take custody of the suspects, according to the Hawks.
The South African authorities said the extradition reflects ongoing cooperation between law enforcement agencies in both countries and international partners in the fight against transnational organised crime.
The Hawks said such collaboration was important in ensuring that individuals wanted for alleged offences across borders are brought before the appropriate judicial authorities.
The six suspects are expected to face the charges against them in the United States.
