Spain’s National Police – working in conjunction with Europol and the Bavarian State Police in Germany – have arrested 34 people in Spain as part of a nationwide operation against an international crime ring known as ‘Black Axe’.
Black Axe is a highly structured, hierarchical group with its origins in Nigeria and a global presence in dozens of countries. The core group of arrested suspects consists of 10 individuals of Nigerian nationality, a statement from Europol said.
According to Europol, the Black Axe criminal network is known for its involvement in a wide range of criminal activities, including cyber-enabled fraud, drug trafficking, human trafficking and prostitution, kidnapping, armed robbery and ‘fraudulent spiritual practices’.
The group’s annual criminal proceeds are estimated to be in the billions of euros, generated through many small-scale operations that collectively have a significant impact.
A total of 34 people were arrested in Spain, with 28 arrests carried out in Seville, as well as three in Madrid, two in Malaga and one in Barcelona.
Investigators believe that the criminal network is responsible for fraud resulting in damages exceeding €5.93 million. Over the course of the operation, authorities have frozen €119,352 in bank accounts and seized €66,403 in cash during house searches.
The cross-border collaboration between Germany and Spain included Spanish investigators receiving analytical support, the exchange of intelligence, and the deployment of two German officers on-site during the action day.
The operation targeted the core group of the organised crime network, which recruits money mules in impoverished areas with high unemployment rates. Most of these vulnerable individuals are of Spanish nationality and are exploited to facilitate the network’s criminal activities.
According to a Europol statement, Black Axe – formally linked to the Neo-Black Movement of Africa – is ‘a highly structured, hierarchical group with a global presence’.
It divides its territory into approximately 60 zones in Nigeria and 35 abroad, with about 200 members per zone. In total, the organisation has roughly 30,000 registered members, and countless affiliated individuals such as money mules and facilitators.
‘The group enforces strict codes of conduct, violent and ritualistic initiations, and spiritual practices,’ Europol said.
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