34 Arrests in Spain Crack Down on Global Crime Network 'Black Axe'

On 9 January 2026 Spanish police, working with German counterparts in Bavaria and Europol, arrested 34 alleged members of the 'Black Axe' crime network. Almost all arrests took place in Seville (28), with 3 in Madrid, 2 in Málaga and one in Barcelona. Europol estimates the group, founded in Nigeria in the late 1970s, siphons billions of euros annually and has about 30,000 registered members. Investigators say the gang defrauded victims of more than €5.9 million (£5.1 million). The operation targeted core recruiters, largely Spanish locals employed as money‑mules in high‑unemployment regions, aiming to disrupt the group’s cyber‑financial activities. The crackdown is expected to cripple the gang’s financial networks across Europe and beyond.