European Authorities Arrest 34 Suspects in Operation Against Black Axe

Spanish authorities arrested 34 people suspected of involvement in Black Axe, an organized criminal network involved in various crimes, including cyber fraud. 

In collaboration with German law enforcement and with support from Europol, the Policía Nacional (Spanish National Police) arrested 28 suspects in Seville, three in Madrid, two in Malaga, and one in Barcelona. Ten of the arrested individuals are Nigerian nationals. Those arrested included alleged leaders within Black Axe who were based in Barcelona, Malaga, and Seville. The arrested individuals have been charged with belonging to a criminal organization, fraud, money laundering, and vehicle theft, according to the National Police.

In the investigation leading up to the arrests, the National Police determined that Black Axe members were able to fraudulently earn more than €5.9 million ($6.8 million) in 15 years.

Authorities froze nearly €120,000 ($139,659) in bank accounts and seized more than €66,000 ($76,800) in cash, which was found during the searches of the suspects’ homes. Authorities also seized mobile and electronic devices and five vehicles.

The suspects allegedly relied on man-in-the-middle (MITM) cyber scams. This type of fraud occurs when criminals intercept legitimate communications to steal, modify, or redirect information or payments without the victim becoming aware of the detour. Police said that the suspects primarily compromised or impersonated corporate email accounts to intercept real communications and redirect large payments into bank accounts controlled by the organization.

To support these scams, Black Axe also recruited money mules in poorer areas with high unemployment rates. These mules were then tasked with receiving, transferring, and withdrawing funds from MITM scams on behalf of the organization.  

An investigation into Black Axe operations in Spain began in September 2023. The German State Police of Bavaria and the Spanish National Police collaborated on this operation, with German authorities providing Spanish investigators with analytical support, intelligence, and two German officers on-site for the arrests.

Europol provided additional support, including information analysis and data support. Europol also mapped the structure of Black Axe across different nations, centralized information, and shared relevant intelligence.

“The 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,” Europol said in a 9 January press release about the arrests. “The group’s annual proceeds are estimated to be in the billions of euros, generated through many small-scale operations that collectively have a significant impact.”

Europol described the group as highly structured and originally from Nigeria, although it operates in several nations.

“The organization’s most profitable criminal enterprise, cybercrime, transcends geographic boundaries and is thought to have netted the organization tens of billions of dollars,” according to a 2024 article by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies.