Europol, in coordination with Spanish and German police, has arrested 34 members of the Black Axe cult, including 10 Nigerians, for cyberfraud and other criminal activities across Spain.
According to a statement by Europol, 28 arrests were made in Seville, three in Madrid, two in Málaga, and one in Barcelona.
The agency described Black Axe as a highly structured, hierarchical criminal network originating from Nigeria, with operations spanning dozens of countries worldwide.
Europol said the group is involved in cyber-enabled fraud, drug and human trafficking, prostitution, kidnapping, armed robbery, and fraudulent spiritual practices.
Investigators estimate the network generates billions of euros annually through multiple small-scale operations.
The organisation is believed to have caused damages exceeding €5.93 million, with authorities seizing €66,403 in cash and freezing €119,352 in bank accounts during the raids.
The group, formally linked to the Neo-Black Movement of Africa, is organised into roughly 60 zones in Nigeria and 35 abroad, each with about 200 members.
Europol stated that the organisation enforces strict codes of conduct, violent initiations, and ritualistic practices, relying on a wide network of registered members, facilitators, and money mules to carry out its criminal activities.
The operation highlights ongoing international efforts to dismantle transnational organised crime and bring members of secretive cult networks to justice.
