Six Nigerian nationals accused of defrauding more than 100 women in the United States through online romance scams have been extradited from South Africa to the US.
The suspects, who were arrested in South Africa in 2021, are alleged to be members of the Black Axe organised criminal network.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) announced the extradition in a statement on Friday, saying the suspects were wanted by US authorities over alleged wire fraud and money laundering.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, popularly known as the Hawks, worked with INTERPOL South Africa to facilitate the extradition.
According to SAPS, the suspects allegedly defrauded their victims of more than R100 million through online romance or love scams.
The Hawks said the six men were transported from a correctional facility in Cape Town to Cape Town International Airport, where they were handed over to officials of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United States Secret Service.
Hawks spokesperson, Colonel Katlego Mogale, said the extradition demonstrated continued cooperation between South African law enforcement agencies and their international counterparts in tackling transnational organised crime.
He said the collaboration would help ensure that suspects wanted in other jurisdictions were brought before the appropriate authorities to face due legal process.
The suspects are expected to face the allegations against them in the United States.
