Police said the six men are alleged to be members of the Black Axe organised criminal network and are wanted by US authorities in connection with charges of wire fraud and money laundering.

“The suspects are alleged to have targeted more than 100 women in the United States, allegedly defrauding them of more than R100 million through online romance/love scams,” police said.

Among the alleged victims were pensioners and businesspeople who were reportedly targeted through sophisticated online relationships that were used to defraud them of their money, police said.

The six Nigerian nationals were arrested in South Africa in 2021 following a major takedown operation conducted by the Hawks/Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI).

“This extradition demonstrates the continued cooperation between South African law enforcement agencies and international law enforcement partners in disrupting transnational organised crime and ensuring that suspects wanted in other jurisdictions face due legal process,” police said.