The Spanish National Police have arrested 34 members of Black Axe, including 10 individuals of Nigerian nationality, in a coordinated multi-agency raid.
The operation against the group, dubbed an international criminal organisation, was conducted in collaboration with the European Police and the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office.
A statement on Friday by Europol revealed the locations where the gang members were apprehended: 28 arrests were carried out in Seville, 3 in Madrid, 2 in Málaga, and 1 in Barcelona.
Investigators accuse them of fraud resulting in damages exceeding €5.93 million. Authorities have frozen €119,352 in bank accounts and seized €66,403 in cash during house searches.
The cross-border cooperation between Germany and Spain involved a team of Spanish detectives and the deployment of two German officers on-site during the action day.
Europol described the Black Axe as a highly structured, hierarchical organisation with its origins in Nigeria and a global presence in dozens of countries.
“The group enforces strict codes of conduct, violent and ritualistic initiations,” the statement reads. “Approximately 60 zones in Nigeria and 35 abroad, with about 200 members per zone.”
The criminal network has been implicated in cyber-enabled fraud, drug trafficking, kidnapping, armed robbery, human trafficking, prostitution, and fraudulent spiritual practices.
According to Europol, Black Axe’s annual illicit proceeds are estimated to be in the billions of euros, generated through many small-scale dealings that collectively have a significant impact.
The EU agency said the latest action aims to disrupt the group’s operations, cross-border activity, and address the challenges it poses in communities where money mules are recruited.
