A Nigerian mafia gang called Black Axe has been operating in Cape Town running what are called ‘romance scams’. Image: Getty Images

According to TimesLIVE, a total of six leaders as well as another person who is not a leader were taken into custody by officials. An eighth individual was also arrested by the officials and is believed to have connections with Black Axe members.

The mafia gang is known for being involved in ‘romance scams’ in which they target elderly men and women who have been widowed or divorced to defraud them of their money. The group uses dating sites as a means of operation.

The group would pose as wealthy pensioners looking for love interest and stationed themselves at Table View. The group is also known for scamming companies.

Black Axe members are known for marrying South African women in order to gain citizenship to gain access to countries such as the US, Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany.

According to the SundayTimes, the group also defrauded thousands of South African women while operating in the country. They have managed to scam women of approximately R4 billion.

Black Axe also has links to a human trafficking ring in Italy called Camorra. The organisation, which first positioned itself as a liberation organisation, has been banned in Nigeria.

Mzansi shocked to learn about Nigerian mafia group in Cape Town

South Africans on social media believe that the country’s laws on immigration should be reevaluated because of the crimes committed by foreign nationals. Here are some of their comments:

@Sthembiso_RSA said:

“#Nigeria’s #Mafia is here then definitely the #BokoHaram is also here cause we already have their #DrugDealers;#HumanTraffickers and all sorts of thugs and criminals.”

@GreenmanSA said:

“I can barely find a woman in Cape Town who offers to split a bill… how do these guys get hundreds of thousands over the internet without even meeting in person.”

@VByuma said:

“This is when these South African human rights organisations must protect SA women and force home affairs to cancel all the marriage done. And revoke the citizenship.”

@ddmhlanga1 said:

“Now it’s the time for our government to evaluate our relationship with Nigeria, they are being deported everywhere in the world but here they’re roaming freely.”