Europol | The Spanish National Police, in cooperation with the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office, have disrupted operations of the “Black Axe” international criminal organization.

With the support of Europol, the action resulted in 34 arrests. 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 includes 10 individuals of Nigerian nationality.

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.

Arrests and Investigations

A total of 34 people were arrested in Spain, most carried out in Seville. Investigators believe that the criminal network is responsible for fraud damages exceeding EUR 5.93 million. Over the course of the operation, authorities have frozen EUR 119,352 in bank accounts and seized EUR 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 organized 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.

This operation was supported by Europol through a range of services, including information analysis, a data sprint held in Madrid, and on-the-spot support. Europol has been instrumental in:

Mapping the group’s structure across countries
Centralizing information
Sharing relevant intelligence
Supporting coordinated national investigations

This strategy aims to disrupt the group’s operations and seize assets, addressing the challenges posed by the group's dispersed small cases, cross-border activity, and the blurring of crimes into ‘ordinary’ local offences.

Background on Black Axe

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 organization 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.

Full article: 34 arrests in Spain during action against the ‘Black Axe’ criminal organisation