German police arrest 11 Nigerians on charges related to a dating scam and money laundering.

German police arrest 11 Nigerians. German police nabbed 11 Nigerian suspects believed to be part of a Black Axe faction involved in a widespread dating scam and money laundering scheme.

The police said the dating trick was a “modern form of marriage fraud”, adding that “Using false identities, the fraudsters for example signalled their intention to marry and in the course of further contact repeatedly demand money under various pretexts,”

The police further said that the money was subsequently transferred to Black Axe in Nigeria “via financial agents.”

According to the authorities, in the process, the gang used a “commodity-based money laundering” scheme where products, often with a seeming “charitable purpose” were bought and delivered to Nigeria.

In 2023, 450 cases of dating scams were reported in Bavaria, resulting in damages totaling 5.3 million euros ($5.7 million).

The suspects, aged 29 to 53 and Nigerian citizens, were arrested in nationwide raids on 19 properties, including homes and asylum shelters. German police arrest 11 Nigerians

The police added that the Black Axe gang had “strict hierarchical structures under leadership in Nigeria” operating different territorial units, stressing that the group had a “significant influence” on politics and public administrations, in particular in Nigeria.

It was said that globally, the gang’s main areas of operation were “human trafficking, fraud, money-laundering, prostitution and drug trafficking”.

This action against Black Axe marks the first of its kind in Germany, according to the police.

Recommended reading: Man with Britain’s largest penis disclosed why he refuses to undergo size reduction surgery