Spanish authorities have arrested 34 people in a sweeping operation targeting the international criminal network known as Black Axe, dealing a blow to one of Europe's most active cyber-enabled fraud groups.
Police raids were carried out across multiple regions, from Seville to Barcelona, as part of a coordinated investigation supported by Europol and linked to parallel inquiries in Germany. Investigators say the group was involved in large-scale financial fraud, money laundering and document forgery.
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Black Axe originated in Nigeria decades ago as a student confraternity but has since transformed into a transnational criminal organisation. European law enforcement agencies describe it as highly structured, with a strong focus on online financial crime and deception schemes.
According to Europol, the network exploited economically vulnerable people in Spain, recruiting them as "money mules" to move illicit funds through bank accounts and payment platforms. Many of those recruited were Spanish nationals living in areas with high unemployment.
Authorities estimate the group siphoned off more than €5.9 million from victims, and warned that similar networks remain active across Europe as cybercrime continues to expand faster than traditional policing tools.