Europol-Led Operation Dismantles Black Axe Cybercrime Network in Spain

Spanish National Police, in collaboration with German authorities and Europol, arrested 34 individuals linked to the Black Axe criminal organization in a coordinated operation across Seville, Madrid, Málaga, and Barcelona. The suspects, primarily of Nigerian origin, are accused of orchestrating large-scale cyber fraud schemes, including business email compromise (BEC), romance scams, and phishing attacks, resulting in nearly €6 million in losses in Spain alone. Authorities seized cash, electronic devices, vehicles, and froze significant sums in bank accounts during the raids, while also uncovering the group's strategy of recruiting vulnerable locals as money mules to launder illicit proceeds.

The Black Axe group, originating from Nigeria and now boasting an estimated 30,000 members worldwide, has been implicated in a range of criminal activities, with cyber-enabled fraud as a major revenue stream. The investigation revealed that the Spanish cell was part of a broader European network, using sophisticated man-in-the-middle (MITM) tactics to intercept and redirect corporate payments. Four main suspects have been placed in pretrial detention, facing charges including aggravated fraud, money laundering, and membership in a criminal organization, while authorities continue to pursue additional leads and potential arrests.