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A German court has sentenced 12 Nigerians to prison terms ranging from three years and four months to eight and a half years for their involvement in romance scams and money laundering, officials said on Thursday.
The Munich court found the defendants, aged between 34 and 55, guilty of participating in an international network that used fake identities to defraud victims on social media and dating apps.
According to the court, the convicts posed as US soldiers stationed in the Middle East to approach victims and dupe them into believing they were in personal or romantic relationships.
Victims were then asked to transfer money for fictitious medical, travel or customs costs.
The court said the victims were mostly “women, elderly people, or people with disabilities.”
The money was transferred to an organisation called the “Neo Black Movement of Africa,” also known as “Black Axe,” based in Nigeria but active worldwide.
In April 2024, German police carried out a wave of arrests targeting the gang after years of investigation and surveillance by domestic intelligence agencies.
At the time of the operation, Bavarian police said many cases had not been reported, as victims were ashamed of having allowed themselves to be manipulated to such an extent.
The sentences ranged from three years and four months to eight years and six months.
