34 arrests in Spain during action against the ‘Black Axe’ criminal organisation

The criminal network is known for its involvement in a wide range of criminal activities, including cyber-enabled fraud, drug trafficking, human trafficking and prostitution, kidnapping, armed robbery and fraudulent spiritual practices. The group’s annual criminal proceeds are estimated to be in the billions of euros, generated through many small-scale operations that collectively have a significant impact.

Arrest and further investigations

A total of 34 people were arrested in Spain, with 28 arrests carried out in Seville, as well as 3 in Madrid, 2 in Málaga and 1 in Barcelona. Investigators believe that the criminal network is responsible for fraud resulting in damages exceeding EUR 5.93 million. Over the course of the operation, authorities have frozen EUR 119 352 in bank accounts and seized EUR 66 403 in cash during house searches.

The cross-border collaboration between Germany and Spain included Spanish investigators receiving analytical support, the exchange of intelligence, and the deployment of two German officers on-site during the action day. The operation targeted the core group of the organised crime network, which recruits money mules in impoverished areas with high unemployment rates. Most of these vulnerable individuals are of Spanish nationality and are exploited to facilitate the network’s criminal activities.

This operation was supported by Europol through a range of services, including information analysis, a data sprint held in Madrid, and on-the-spot support. Europol has been instrumental in mapping the group’s structure across countries, centralising information, sharing relevant intelligence packages, and supporting coordinated national investigations. This strategy aims to disrupt the group’s operations and seize assets, addressing the challenges posed by the group’s dispersed small cases, cross-border activity, and the blurring of crimes into ‘ordinary’ local offences.

Background on Black Axe

Black Axe, formally linked to the Neo-Black Movement of Africa, is a highly structured, hierarchical group with a global presence. It divides its territory into approximately 60 zones in Nigeria and 35 abroad, with about 200 members per zone. In total, the organisation has roughly 30 000 registered members, and countless affiliated individuals such as money mules and facilitators. The group enforces strict codes of conduct, violent and ritualistic initiations, and spiritual practices.