From Munich to Seville: International Strike Against Cyber-Mafia "Black Axe"

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They operate with insidious online fraud schemes like “Love Scam” and launder millions in profits worldwide. Now, investigators in Spain have delivered a significant blow against the Nigerian cyber-mafia known as “Black Axe.” Investigators from Bavaria were also involved in the operation, which specifically targeted the network's infrastructure.

12 suspected members on trial in Munich

In a large-scale operation in Spain, a total of 34 suspected members of the internationally operating criminal organization were arrested. The operation, led by the Spanish police, was conducted in close cooperation with the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office and with significant support from Europol. Europol helped map the group's structures across national borders, pooled information, and provided analyses and on-site experts in Madrid. The cross-border cooperation also included the deployment of two German officers in Spain on the day of the operation. According to Europol, most arrests took place in Seville (28). The arrested individuals are accused of being responsible for a fraud damage of over 5.93 million euros alone.

In the course of the investigations, officers seized cash amounting to 66,403 euros and froze bank accounts with deposits of 119,352 euros. Currently, twelve suspected members are on trial in Munich. The indictment accuses the men, among other things, of forming a criminal association, money laundering, and fraud in dozens of cases. The operation coordinated by Europol targeted the core of the organized crime network, which specifically recruits “Money Mules” (financial agents) in impoverished areas with high unemployment to launder money obtained through cybercrime.

No longer just Nigerian princes

“Black Axe,” also known as “Neo-Black Movement of Africa,” is a hierarchically structured criminal organization with Nigerian roots. Originally founded in the 1970s as a student movement with the aim of fighting colonialism and oppression, the group transformed according to n-tv over the years into a globally operating criminal syndicate. The organization's symbol, an axe smashing the chains of colonialism, dates back to its founding period.

Interpol assumes that “Black Axe” is today one of the leading players in global cyber-financial fraud. The long-known business model of spam emails, where a fictional Nigerian prince needs money to access his alleged inheritance, has evolved since the 1990s into a global fraud and money laundering network. Today, criminal activities encompass a broad spectrum, including identity theft, drug and human trafficking, prostitution, extortion, and armed robbery. Europol estimates the number of global members at at least 30,000.

According to information from n-tv, new members are bound to loyalty through brutal and ritualized initiation rites, which often involve physical abuse and humiliation. The organization often operates under the guise of charitable associations to conceal its criminal activities. In Germany, “Black Axe” used, among other things, the registered association “Neo Black Movement of Africa,” which ostensibly pursued charitable purposes.

Activities and investigations in Germany

In April 2024, German authorities struck a blow against the network when eleven high-ranking members were arrested in raids in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, and Hamburg. In Germany, security authorities have been on alert for a long time. The Federal Intelligence Service (BND) warned according to Behördenspiegel as early as 2019 about the increasing spread of the Nigerian mafia.

A focus of criminal activities in this country is the so-called “Love Scam” or “romance scam.” In this scheme, perpetrators feign a romantic relationship online to extort large sums of money from their victims under false pretenses. In Bavaria alone, according to the Bavarian Ministry of the Interior, more than 450 cases with a total damage of around 5.3 million euros were registered in 2023. Reports on such and similar activities of the group already existed in 2021.

(mack)