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The Spanish National Police, with the support of Europol and German authorities, have targeted a Nigerian-origin syndicate involved in cybercrime and human trafficking. Madrid, January 9, 2026 – The Spanish National Police carried out a major operation against the international criminal organization known as "Black Axe," resulting in the arrest of 34 individuals and significant disruption of the group's activities. The operation, carried out in close cooperation with the Bavarian Criminal Police Office and Europol, targeted a highly structured network responsible for fraud losses estimated at over €5.93 million. The operation resulted in the arrest of 34 individuals across Spain, with the majority of arrests occurring in Seville, followed by Madrid, Malaga, and Barcelona. Investigators uncovered fraud schemes that resulted in losses exceeding €5.93 million and confiscated over €66,000 in cash, while freezing nearly €120,000 in bank accounts. The network recruited vulnerable individuals from poor neighborhoods as "money couriers" to facilitate crimes ranging from cybercrime to human trafficking and drug smuggling. The operation focused on the core of the Black Axe network, a hierarchical group with roots in Nigeria and a presence in dozens of countries. Among the arrested suspects, the central control group consisted of ten individuals of Nigerian origin. The network is known for its involvement in a variety of criminal activities, including cybercrime, drug and human trafficking, kidnapping, and armed robbery. The group generates billions of euros annually through numerous small-scale operations that collectively create a massive financial impact. A key aspect of the investigation was uncovering the group's money laundering modus operandi. The network recruited "money couriers"—people often recruited from poor areas with high unemployment—to move illicit funds. Most of these exploited individuals were of Spanish origin. Transnational cooperation was crucial: German officers were deployed locally, and Europol provided analytical data to map the group's disparate structure and connect local crimes to the wider international network.
