German police have arrested 11 suspected members of a Nigerian mafia group, the Black Axe gang, believed to be behind a large-scale dating scam.
A nationwide raid on Tuesday targeted homes and asylum shelters across the country, apprehending individuals believed to be key players in a large-scale “modern form of marriage fraud,” according to a statement by Bavarian police.
The Black Axe gang, notorious for international criminal activity, focused on Germany’s online dating scene. They allegedly created false online identities to establish romantic relationships with unsuspecting victims. Once trust was built, the fraudsters would manipulate their targets into sending money under various pretexts.
Police say the ill-gotten gains were funneled back to the Black Axe gang in Nigeria through a network of financial agents. Furthermore, authorities revealed the gang employed a “commodity-based money laundering scheme,” where seemingly “charitable” purchases were made and shipped to Nigeria as a way to disguise the source of funds.
The arrests come in response to a surge in romance scams across Germany. Bavarian police alone reported 450 cases in 2023, resulting in losses exceeding €5.3 million ($5.7 million). This police action is a significant blow to these online criminal enterprises.
The investigation exposed the Black Axe gang’s larger criminal structure. The arrested individuals, all Nigerian citizens between 29 and 53 years old, are believed to be part of a well-established network with leadership in Nigeria.
