Six Nigerian men accused of defrauding more than 100 women in the United States through alleged online romance scams have been extradited from South Africa to face prosecution in the United States.

The suspects, who were arrested in South Africa in 2021, are alleged to have operated sophisticated online relationships to gain the trust of their victims, including pensioners and businesspeople, before allegedly obtaining money from them.

South African authorities said the men are wanted in the US on allegations of wire fraud and money laundering, with the alleged losses exceeding R100m.

The extradition was facilitated by South Africa’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks, in collaboration with Interpol.

The suspects are also alleged to be members of the Black Axe organised criminal network.

They were transported from a correctional facility in Cape Town to Cape Town International Airport, where they were handed over to officials of the FBI and the US Secret Service.

South African authorities said the development underscored international cooperation in tackling organised crime and ensuring that suspects wanted in other countries are brought before the appropriate justice system.