Six Nigerians are set to be extradited to the US, as they are wanted for operating alleged online love scams in which women were defrauded of millions. According to the Hawks, the suspects are alleged to be members of the Black Axe organised criminal network and face charges of wire fraud and money laundering.

They are accused of having targeted more than 100 women in the US and swindled them out of more than R100 million. Among the victims are pensioners and business people. The Hawks say the extradition, which is expected to take place on Friday afternoon, will see the suspects transported from a Cape Town correctional facility to the airport, where they will be handed over to officials from the FBI and the United States Secret Service who arrived in the country this morning.

The Hawks note that this extradition is being facilitated in collaboration with the international police organisation, Interpol.