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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Lorenzo Tondo in Palermo

Italian police arrest alleged Black Axe Nigerian mafia members over trafficking

Nigeria Black Axe Italy
A woman waits in the shade of an umbrella by the edge of a big field for passing clients
A woman trafficked from Nigeria waits for clients in Italy. Manipulation of spiritual beliefs has proved a powerful form of control for traffickers, with many victims forced to undergo frightening rituals. Photograph: Elena Perlino/Rex/Shutterstock

Four alleged members of the Nigerian mafia have been arrested in southern Italy after a young sex trafficking survivor spoke out against them.

The men, who were arrested in Palermo and Taranto in the early hours of Tuesday, allegedly belong to the feared Black Axe, a cult-like criminal gang that emerged in the 1970s at the University of Benin, according to police.

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