The German police made a significant breakthrough on Wednesday by apprehending eleven suspected members of the Black Axe criminal syndicate from Nigeria during nationwide raids.
All 11 suspects, identified as Nigerian citizens, have resided in Germany for an extended period. They are allegedly involved in operating dating platforms where victims are deceived with promises of marriage and subsequently defrauded.
Authorities revealed that the syndicate collaborated with scammers who transferred money to them in Nigeria acting as “financial agents.”
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The crackdown, targeting 19 properties, forms part of Germany’s concerted efforts to dismantle large-scale dating scams and combat money laundering within its borders.
This recent operation follows the arrest of two Nigerian men and a Thai woman in Phuket’s Thalang district two months ago, where they were implicated in a romance scam.
Alongside the arrests, law enforcement seized 50 sachets of cocaine and a digital balance from the raided properties.
Additionally, Europol disclosed that between December 7 and 9, 2023, it apprehended 16 individuals in an international operation targeting Nigerian criminals responsible for various crimes, including drug smuggling, human trafficking for sexual exploitation, and money laundering, across the EU and beyond.
The operation involved law enforcement agencies from Europe, Africa, South America, and North America, highlighting the global cooperation in combating transnational crime.
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