Europol announced on Friday that it had arrested 34 people in Spain suspected of being members of the international criminal organization Black Ax.
As part of an operation carried out by the Spanish National Police in collaboration with the Bavarian Criminal Police and Europol, 28 people were arrested in Seville, three in Madrid, two in Malaga and one in Barcelona.
“This criminal network is known to be involved in a wide range of criminal activities, including cyber-based fraud, drug trafficking, human trafficking and prostitution, kidnapping, armed robbery and fraudulent spiritual practices,” Europol said in a statement.
The criminal network is estimated to be involved in fraudulent activities resulting in losses in excess of 5.93 million euros ($6.9 million). In addition to the arrests, authorities froze 119,352 euros ($138,935) in bank accounts and seized 66,403 euros ($77,290) in cash during a search of his home.
Blackaxe is described as a hierarchical criminal group that started in Nigeria in 1977 and has since spread to dozens of countries around the world. The organization is said to have approximately 30,000 registered members, including money mules and facilitators.
In a report released in late 2022, Interpol announced the arrest of 75 people associated with the syndicate for defrauding millions of victims as part of a law enforcement operation dubbed “Operation Jackal.”
The “violent mafia-style gang” is believed to be involved in a vast list of cyber-enabled activities that facilitate financial fraud, including business email compromise schemes, romance fraud, inheritance fraud, credit card fraud, tax fraud, advance payment fraud, and money laundering.
In July 2024, Interpol announced that it had seized more than $5 million in assets, cryptocurrencies, and luxury goods in two subsequent operations. These efforts also led to more than 400 arrests and the identification of thousands more suspects.
“Black Ax is one of West Africa’s most prominent transnational organized crime syndicates, engaging in cyber fraud, human trafficking, drug smuggling, and violent crimes in Africa and beyond,” the agency said at the time.
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