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   Notorious Black Axe cybercrime gang disrupted in Europol raids   
      
   Date:   
   Mon, 12 Jan 2026 11:43:51 +0000   
      
   Description:   
   In total, 34 Black Axe cybercrime gang members were arrested, including core   
   10 members.   
      
   FULL STORY   
      
   Spanish police have arrested 34 individuals suspected of running Black Axe, a   
   malicious organization engaged in cyber fraud as part of a network of    
   criminal activities.    
      
   A Europol press release noted the Spanish National Police and the Bavarian   
   State Criminal Police Office conducted raids in Seville, Madrid, Malaga, and   
   Barcelona, arresting dozens of members of Black Axe. During the raid, they   
   seized almost $140,000 in bank accounts, and $77,000 in cash.    
      
   Black Axe is apparently a large, highly structured, hierarchical group   
   headquartered in Nigeria, with members scattered across dozens of countries,   
   while their operations span the globe.   
      
   Recruiting money mules    
      
   The group scammed their way into billions of euros, Europol explained, saying   
   that it engages in all sorts of criminal activity: cyber-enabled fraud, drug   
   trafficking, human trafficking and prostitution, kidnapping, armed robbery    
   and fraudulent spiritual practices. The majority of their operations seem to   
   be small-scale but add up quickly.    
      
   The core group that was arrested was allegedly engaged in recruiting money   
   mules in Spain - mostly in impoverished areas. While the arrests were carried   
   out mostly by Spanish operatives, German law enforcement provided analytical   
   support and intelligence and deployed two officers during the raid.    
      
   Europol says Black Axe is formally linked to the Neo-Black Movement of Africa   
   and 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 organization has   
   roughly 30 000 registered members, and countless affiliated individuals such   
   as money mules and facilitators, it said.    
      
   The group enforces strict codes of conduct, violent and ritualistic   
   initiations, and spiritual practices.    
      
   No names were shared, and at this time, we dont know exactly which cyber   
   campaigns Black Axe conducted.    
      
   ======================================================================   
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/notorious-black-axe-cybercrime-gang-dis   
   rupted-in-europol-raids   
      
   $$   
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