Suspected members of Nigeria-linked Black Axe crime gang arrested in Switzerland

Suspected members ​of the Nigerian-linked Black ​Axe crime gang ‌have been ​arrested in Switzerland accused of involvement in romance scams and cyberfraud, ‌Europol said on Tuesday. Black Axe grew out of a student fraternity in the late 1970s called the Neo ‌Black Movement of Africa, and it has ‌since evolved into a structured, violent criminal organisation often dealing in financial cybercrime.

"The suspects are accused of numerous crimes. This ⁠includes romance scams ​and ⁠other cyberfraud offences causing millions of Swiss francs in damages, as ⁠well as money laundering," said Europol, which is headquartered ​in The Hague, in a statement. The pan-European police ⁠body said 10 people - most of whom are of Nigerian ⁠origin - ​had been arrested in the operation that also involved German police.

The Swiss operation against the ⁠Black Axe crime gang follows a similar operation carried out ⁠by ⁠Spanish police in January, while global police body Interpol had also targeted it in ‌2023.

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