This international operation, which began in September 2023, resulted in a total of 34 arrests across Spain. Besides the key arrest in the Catalan capital, most suspects were detained in Seville (28), along with three in Madrid and two in Malaga.
The group enforces strict codes of conduct, violent and ritualistic initiations, and spiritual practices. A kind of secret sect.
The Black Axe organization is formally linked to the Neo-Black Movement of Africa and is considered a highly hierarchical structure with a global presence and approximately 30,000 registered members. Europol analysts determined that the leadership, mostly composed of Nigerians, directed the illicit activities from Spain.
Their main operating method was the Man in the Middle (MITM) scam, specifically through Business Email Compromise (BEC). This technique involves compromising or impersonating corporate email accounts to intercept legitimate communications and divert high-value payments to accounts controlled by the criminal network.
The investigations, led by the Investigating Court 18 of Seville, charge the detainees with belonging to a criminal organization, fraud, money laundering, and illicit vehicle trafficking. Police estimate that the total proven fraud linked to Black Axe exceeds 5.9 million euros. During the searches, 66,000 euros in cash and five high-end vehicles were seized.
