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Italian police raided the country, arresting around 30 people suspected of operating for the Nigerian mafia union Black Ax.
Police say they face over 100 charges, including drug and human trafficking, prostitution and internet fraud.
The gang allegedly used the Bitcoin cryptocurrency to conduct underground financial transactions on the dark web.
Black Ax emerged from Nigeria in the 1970s, where they committed ritual rape, mutilation and murder.
They then built a powerful international network.
“The members have been shown to have a direct connection to the Nigerian gang, relying on the same vocabulary, symbols and rituals of affiliation,” Italian police said.
Those arrested are accused of using Bitcoin on the dark web to purchase details of cloned credit cards, which were used for online purchases.
The arrests took place in 14 provinces across the country and included the alleged leader of the Black Ax in Italy – a 35-year-old man who lived in L’Aquila, in the central Abruzzo region, Reuters news agency reported.
“This proves the capacity of the judicial and police forces to fight against old and new mafia groups who are trying to extend their criminal reach and expand their activities,” Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese said in a statement.
Who are the Black Axes?
It is one of the most notorious secret societies to emerge from Nigeria.
The Black Ax first surfaced in the 1970s and was originally known as the Neo Black Movement. Its founders said the group’s goal was to “liberate” the black race.
But in the universities, the group no longer seems to be driven by any political ideology. Instead, members of Black Ax are charged with numerous murders and sexual assaults.
Other Nigerian secret societies, also known as brotherhoods and campus cults, have names like Vikings, Eiye (a word in the local Yoruba language for bird) and the buccaneers.
They have a chain of command similar to that of militias, use code words, and wear badges bearing the cult’s favorite weapon, as well as its color.
Members are promised protection from rival gangs, but it’s mostly about power and popularity.
These secret societies are banned in Nigeria, and hundreds of members have been arrested and prosecuted over the years. Nonetheless, they continue to operate in the country, particularly on college campuses, where they still attract new members.
Source: BBC
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