Arrests suspected members of Nigerian dating mafia

German police on Wednesday announced that eleven suspected members of a criminal syndicate from Nigeria, the Black Axe, were arrested during nationwide raids

The gang is internationally famous for different criminal activities such as “human-trafficking, fraud, prostitution and drug-trafficking.”

In Germany they were focusing especially on large-scale dating scams and money laundering.

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The police raids targeted 19 properties in total, including both homes and refugee shelters.

All eleven suspects are Nigerian citizens but most of them have been in Germany for many years. The alleged gang members are between the ages of 29 and 53.

The criminal gang Black Axe, whose members are estimated at around 30,000 worldwide, is reported to “camouflage” their activity disguised as charity.  They operate under the auspices of the Neo Black Movement of Africa.

According to police, Black Axe has a strong influence on Nigerian politics and public administration.

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