Five alleged Black Axe leaders extradited to US on cybercrime charges

Five alleged leaders of the Black Axe cybercrime syndicate have been extradited from South Africa to the United States, where they face wire fraud and money laundering charges, BleepingComputer reported.

Prosecutors accuse Perry Osagiede, Franklyn Osagiede, Osariemen Clement, Collins Otughwor, and Musa Mudashiru of coordinating an internet-fraud campaign from Cape Town between 2011 and 2021. They allegedly used aliases, social media, online dating websites, and VoIP phone numbers to trick people in the United States into sending money through advance-fee schemes and romance scams. Prosecutors also allege that threats to publish sensitive photos were used when victims refused to pay.

The five defendants were arrested in South Africa in 2021 at the request of the United States and extradited on September 11, 2026. If found guilty, they face a maximum of 20 years in prison for wire fraud, 20 years for money laundering, and two additional years for aggravated identity theft.

Last month, agencies from 22 countries arrested 58 people and identified 263 suspects in Operation Jackal IV. Spanish authorities separately arrested 34 suspects believed to be linked to a network connected to Black Axe.

Black Axe was founded in Nigeria in 1977 and is believed to have 30,000 registered members. In January 2024, the United States sentenced member Olugbenga Lawal to 10 years in prison for laundering money stolen from elderly Americans.