South African authorities have confirmed that six Nigerian nationals accused of being part of an organised criminal network will be extradited to the United States over allegations of defrauding American women of more than $6 million through online romance scams.
The suspects were arrested in Cape Town in 2021 and are expected to be handed over to agents from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Friday. They will be taken to the United States, where they are expected to face charges relating to wire fraud and money laundering.
South African police spokesperson Katlego Mogale said Interpol South Africa coordinated the transfer of the suspects from a correctional facility in Cape Town to Cape Town International Airport.
According to Mogale, FBI and US Secret Service officials arrived in South Africa on Friday to take custody of the six men.
The suspects are alleged to have participated in romance and online love scams that affected more than 100 American women. Investigators said some of the victims were business owners who were allegedly drawn into sophisticated online relationships before being defrauded.
The case forms part of wider efforts by international law enforcement agencies to tackle organised criminal networks operating across borders.
Interpol said several operations have been carried out in recent months against West African organised crime groups. One operation conducted last month resulted in 58 arrests and helped authorities identify 263 people allegedly connected to different criminal networks involved in related offences.
